Taxonomy
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Vespidae Laicharting, 1781
Subfamily: Vespinae Laicharting, 1781
Genus: Vespa Linnaeus, 1758
Species: Vespa basalis Smith, 1852
Common names: black-bellied hornet
Background
Vespa basalis occurs in southern Asia. It generally builds aerial nests in trees, shrubs, and on buildings, but nests have also been found in rock crevices and in the ground. Colonies of V. basalis are large and long-lived when compared to other Vespa species (Archer 2008)(Archer 2008):
Archer ME. 2008. Taxonomy, distribution and nesting biology of species of the genera Provespa Ashmead and Vespa Linnaeus (Hymenoptera, Vespidae). Entomologistrsquo;s Monthly Magazine 144: 69ndash;101..
Distribution
Vespa basalis is native to Pakistan, India, Nepal, China, Taiwan, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Sumatra (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
The mostly dark brown to black metasomametasoma:
the posterior part of the body
is one of the more distinctive features of V. basalis (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 genus:
- both pronotal and pretegular carinae present
- head vertexvertex:
the area between the ocelli and the back of the 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 segment anteriorly rounded
- forewing forewing:
the front wing attached to the middle thoracic segment
prestigma three times or more as long as the 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:
- metasomal tergaterga:
the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a speciifc segment, such as T1, T2, etc.
2–5 entirely black (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.
- female and worker:
- clypeus clypeus:
sutures
apically smooth, almost impunctate
- postscutellum brown
- middle tibiatibia:
the segment of the leg, between the femur and the tarsus
with long hairs which are longer than the width of tibia
- metasoma metasoma:
the posterior part of the body
almost entirely black with first tergumtergum:
the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a speciifc segment, such as T1, T2, etc.
apically marked
- queen:
- metasoma metasoma:
the posterior part of the body
black with first tergumtergum:
the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a speciifc segment, such as T1, T2, etc.
marked with yellowish-brown
- length about 24 mm
- male:
- 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.
produced and convex
- posterior ocelliocelli:
single facet light reception organs; on the top of the adult head
closer to each other than to the compound eye
- apical apical:
near or at the apex or end of any structure
antennal articles 6 or 7 each with two linear swellings or tyloids
- gonostipes more elongate, nearly twice 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.
Biology/Life cycle
Nests of V. basalis are typically found in mountain forests in trees, in shrubs, on buildings, in rock crevices, and in the ground (Archer 1999)(Archer 1999):
Archer ME. 1999. Taxonomy, distribution, and nesting biology of Vespa binghami, V. basalis, V. variabilis, V. fervida, V. luctuosa, V. multimaculata, and V. bellicose (Hym., Vespinae). Entomologistrsquo;s Monthly Magazine 135: 43ndash;50.. Queens overwinter in holes in walls, trees, or old nests from late December until early March. New nests are established in March and April, possibly through usurpation of V. tropica and V. velutina nests. The first workers are encountered during April and May. Sexuals emerge and mate from October until December. V. basalis annual colony cycle lasts about nine months, which is relatively long compared to other Vespa species (Archer 1999)(Archer 1999):
Archer ME. 1999. Taxonomy, distribution, and nesting biology of Vespa binghami, V. basalis, V. variabilis, V. fervida, V. luctuosa, V. multimaculata, and V. bellicose (Hym., Vespinae). Entomologistrsquo;s Monthly Magazine 135: 43ndash;50..
May be confused with
Vespa bicolor
- V. bicolor scutellumscutellum:
shield shaped plate behind scutum
and metanotum entirely or primarily yellow and vertexvertex:
the area between the ocelli and the back of the head
black. In V. basalis the scutellumscutellum:
shield shaped plate behind scutum
and metanotum not primarily yellow, or if primarily yellow then the vertexvertex:
the area between the ocelli and the back of the head
is only partially black (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 binghami
- V. binghami male ocelliocelli:
single facet light reception organs; on the top of the adult head
large, the posterior ocelliocelli:
single facet light reception organs; on the top of the adult head
closer to the eye than to each other
- V. binghami male antennal segments 12 and 13 with a flat broad shining surface (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 luctuosa, V. affinis, V. analis, V. simillima
- males apicalapical:
near or at the apex or end of any structure
margin of seventh metasomal sternumsternum:
the plates on the underside of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment, like S1, S2, etc.
more or less straight or concaveconcave:
curved inward
(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
