Vespa analis

Taxonomy

Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Vespidae Laicharting, 1781
Subfamily: Vespinae Laicharting, 1781
Genus: Vespa Linnaeus, 1758
Species: Vespa analis Fabricius, 1775
Common names: yellow-vented hornet

Background

Vespa analis is one of the most widely distributed species of Vespa in eastern Eurasia. Nests are generally built above ground in trees and are considered small colonies (Smith-Pardo et al. 2020; Matsuura and Yamane 1984). Females of this species can be easily recognized by the presence of a small tooth in the middle of the apicalapical:
near or at the apex or end of any structure
margin of the clypeusclypeus:
sutures
(Archer 1998b)(Archer 1998b):
Archer ME. 1998b. Taxonomy, distribution, and nesting biology of Vespa analis F. (Hym., Vespidae). Entomologistrsquo;s Monthly Magazine 134: 215-222..

Distribution

V. analis is native to India, Nepal, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Russia, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Malaya, Singapore, and Indonesia (Smith-Pardo et al. 2020)(Smith-Pardo et al. 2020):
Smith-Pardo A., JM Carpenter amp; LS Kimsey. 2020. The diversity of hornets in the genus Vespa , their importance and interceptions in the United States. Insect Systematics and Diversity 4 (3): 1ndash;27..

Diagnostic characteristics

Females of V. analis can be distinguished from other Vespa species by the presence of a small tooth in the middle of the apicalapical:
near or at the apex or end of any structure
margin of clypeusclypeus:
sutures
(Archer 1998b)(Archer 1998b):
Archer ME. 1998b. Taxonomy, distribution, and nesting biology of Vespa analis F. (Hym., Vespidae). Entomologistrsquo;s Monthly Magazine 134: 215-222..

To identify the genus:

• both pronotal and pretegular carinae present
• head with the distance from posterior ocellusocellus:
  single facet light reception organs; on the top of the adult head
  to the posterior margin of vertexvertex:
  the area between the ocelli and the back of the head
  more than twice the distance between the posterior ocelliocelli:
  single facet light reception organs; on the top of the adult head
  and the compound eye
• basal basal:
  originating at the foundation of a structure
  metasomal tergumtergum:
  the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a speciifc segment, such as T1, T2, etc.
  anteriorly rounded
• forewing forewing:
  the front wing attached to the middle thoracic segment
  prestigma three times or more as long as pterostigma (Smith-Pardo et al. 2020)(Smith-Pardo et al. 2020):
  Smith-Pardo A., JM Carpenter amp; LS Kimsey. 2020. The diversity of hornets in the genus Vespa , their importance and interceptions in the United States. Insect Systematics and Diversity 4 (3): 1ndash;27.

To identify the species:

• posterior ocelliocelli:
  single facet light reception organs; on the top of the adult head
  closer to each other than to compound eye

• female apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  margin of clypeusclypeus:
  sutures
  with medial tooth between laterally produced margins (Smith-Pardo et al. 2020)(Smith-Pardo et al. 2020):
  Smith-Pardo A., JM Carpenter amp; LS Kimsey. 2020. The diversity of hornets in the genus Vespa , their importance and interceptions in the United States. Insect Systematics and Diversity 4 (3): 1ndash;27.
• male:
  • pronotal carina slightly interrupted by the pronotal pit
  • first gastral tergumtergum:
    the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a speciifc segment, such as T1, T2, etc.
    in dorsaldorsal:
    the top surface of a structure
    view not elongate and less than half as long as wide (Archer 2015)(Archer 2015):
    Bequaert J. 1936. The common Oriental hornets, Vespa tropica and Vespa affinis , and their color forms. Treubia 15 (4): 329ndash;351.
  • apical apical:
    near or at the apex or end of any structure
    margin of seventh gastral sternumsternum:
    the plates on the underside of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment, like S1, S2, etc.
    with one deep emargination (Archer 1998b)(Archer 1998b):
    Archer ME. 1998b. Taxonomy, distribution, and nesting biology of Vespa analis F. (Hym., Vespidae). Entomologistrsquo;s Monthly Magazine 134: 215-222.

Biology/Life cycle

Vespa analis has been known to consume tree sap and aphid honey dew as a source of carbohydrates. It is a generalist and obtains protein from a wide variety of insects including V. simillima and species in the subfamily Polistinae (Matsuura and Yamane 1984)(Matsuura and Yamane 1984):
Matsuura M amp; S Yamane. 1984. Biology of the Vespine Wasps. Springer-Verlag: New York..

Nests are usually aerial on the branches of tree and in bushes. Nests are spherical in the temperate zone and subtropics, with a conical waterproof roof added in the tropics (Archer 1998b)(Archer 1998b):
Archer ME. 1998b. Taxonomy, distribution, and nesting biology of Vespa analis F. (Hym., Vespidae). Entomologistrsquo;s Monthly Magazine 134: 215-222.. Queens of V. analis are first encountered in early to mid-May, and nest-founding begins in early May. Workers are observed from late June to late November. Males and queens continue to be produced for one to two months, and colony termination begins in early to late October. Queens who have left the nest and successfully copulated overwinter in the soil and rotten wood. They dig a cellcell:
a portion of wing membrane enclosed by wing veins
1.5–2.5 in (4–6 cm) in diameter in which they hibernate usually in solitude, but two or three queens have been observed hibernating together (Matsuura and Yamane 1984)(Matsuura and Yamane 1984):
Matsuura M amp; S Yamane. 1984. Biology of the Vespine Wasps. Springer-Verlag: New York.. Nests have been recorded with 8–9 combs and a total of 31 in (80 cm) (Akre 1982)(Akre 1982):
Akre RD. 1982. Social wasps. Social Insects 4: 1ndash;105.. Colonies of this species are annual.

Most vespines have easily recognizable castes with smaller workers and distinctly larger queens. However, V. analis colonies contain individuals that are larger than workers but smaller than most queens, making caste differentiation difficult in this species (Akre 1982)(Akre 1982):
Akre RD. 1982. Social wasps. Social Insects 4: 1ndash;105..

May be confused with

Vespa binghami

• V. binghami posterior ocelliocelli:
  single facet light reception organs; on the top of the adult head
  about as close to compound eye as to each other, V. analis posterior ocelliocelli:
  single facet light reception organs; on the top of the adult head
  closer to each other than to compound eye (Smith-Pardo et al. 2020)(Smith-Pardo et al. 2020):
  Smith-Pardo A., JM Carpenter amp; LS Kimsey. 2020. The diversity of hornets in the genus Vespa , their importance and interceptions in the United States. Insect Systematics and Diversity 4 (3): 1ndash;27.

Vespa mandarinia

• Vespa mandarinia male pretegula carina incomplete (Archer 2015)(Archer 2015):
  Bequaert J. 1936. The common Oriental hornets, Vespa tropica and Vespa affinis , and their color forms. Treubia 15 (4): 329ndash;351.

Vespa affinis

• V. affinis male pronotal carina much interrupted by the pronotal pit
• V. affinis male first gastral tergumtergum:
  the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a speciifc segment, such as T1, T2, etc.
  in dorsaldorsal:
  the top surface of a structure
  view elongate, about half as long as wide (Archer 2015)(Archer 2015):
  Bequaert J. 1936. The common Oriental hornets, Vespa tropica and Vespa affinis , and their color forms. Treubia 15 (4): 329ndash;351.

Known introductions

none