Taxonomy
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Vespidae Laicharting, 1781
Subfamily: Vespinae Laicharting, 1781
Genus: Vespa Linnaeus, 1758
Species: Vespa crabro Linnaeus, 1758
Common names: European hornet
Background
Vespa crabro is native to Europe and North Africa. It is generally larger-bodied than most other species of Vespa, and its nests are larger in size than those of other Vespa. Nests are built in above-ground cavities, including wall voids, hollow trees, and abandoned honeybee hives. This hornet may feed on honeybees (Kimsey and Carpenter 2012)(Kimsey and Carpenter 2012):
Kimsey LS amp; JM Carpenter. 2012. The Vespinae of North America. Journal of Hymenoptera Research 28: 37ndash;65. Doi.org/10.3897/jhr.28.3514..
Distribution
Although native to the PalearcticPalearctic:
a region consisting of Europe, Asia and northern Africa
Region, Vespa crabro was introduced into New York in the 1800s, and is now widespread in the eastern United States, extending as far west as the Mississippi River and as far south as New Orleans (Akre et al. 1981)(Akre et al. 1981):
Akre RD, A Greene, JF MacDonald, PJ Landholt amp; HG. Davis. 1981. Yellowjackets of North America, North of Mexico. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. Handbook #552.. Scattered populations probably also exist in southern Ontario and Quebec. Specimens of V. crabro were found in a museum collection in Guatemala, but there is no evidence they have become established (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
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:
- females: some or all of the second, third, fourth, and fifth gastral tergaterga:
the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a speciifc segment, such as T1, T2, etc.
usually with broad yellow apicalapical:
near or at the apex or end of any structure
bands, but if the bands are narrow, the vertexvertex:
the area between the ocelli and the back of the head
is yellow or orange-yellow
- female clypeal punctures clearly defined and contiguous or nearly so
- male metasomal sternasterna:
the plates on the underside of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment, like S1, S2, etc.
6 and 7 have the apicomedial margin straight or shallowly indented
- metasomal tergaterga:
the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a speciifc segment, such as T1, T2, etc.
3 to 6 transverse basalbasal:
originating at the foundation of a structure
black bandband:
usually referring to bands of hair or bands of color that traverse across an abdominal segment
with sublateral free or connected black spot (Kimsey and Carpenter 2012)(Kimsey and Carpenter 2012):
Kimsey LS amp; JM Carpenter. 2012. The Vespinae of North America. Journal of Hymenoptera Research 28: 37ndash;65. Doi.org/10.3897/jhr.28.3514.
Biology/Life cycle
Vespa crabro adapts well to urban and suburban areas where it builds nests in enclosed spaces such as cavities in trees or buildings (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 crabro is known to attack cicadas, other arthropods, and some Polistes paper wasp larvaelarvae:
active immature form of an insect, especially one that differs greatly from the adult and forms the stage between egg and pupa
for prey (Akre 1982)(Akre 1982):
Akre RD. 1982. Social wasps. Social Insects 4: 1ndash;105.. It will also occasionally visit tree sap sources for nutrients (Matsuura and Yamane 1984)(Matsuura and Yamane 1984):
Matsuura M amp; S Yamane. 1984. Biology of the Vespine Wasps. Springer-Verlag: New York..
Queens of V. crabro first appear in mid-April to early May, and nests are founded in early May. Males and new queens continue to be produced for about one to two months before colony disintegration in late September to early October. New queens that have left the nest and successfully copulated overwinter, usually in soil. In Europe multiple V. crabro 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 are annual, can be up to in 24 in (60 cm) long, and are often usurped by V. dybowskii (Akre 1982)(Akre 1982):
Akre RD. 1982. Social wasps. Social Insects 4: 1ndash;105..
May be confused with
Vespa affinis
- V. affinis ventralventral:
the underside of an insect, or segment of an insect
metapleural punctures well-defined and nearly contiguous, V. crabro ventralventral:
the underside of an insect, or segment of an insect
metapleural punctures shallow and separated by 1 puncture diameter or more (Kimsey and Carpenter 2012)(Kimsey and Carpenter 2012):
Kimsey LS amp; JM Carpenter. 2012. The Vespinae of North America. Journal of Hymenoptera Research 28: 37ndash;65. Doi.org/10.3897/jhr.28.3514.
Vespa dybowskii
- V. dybowskii the second, third, fourth, and fifth gastral tergaterga:
the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a speciifc segment, such as T1, T2, etc.
dark brown or black with at most a very narrow apicalapical:
near or at the apex or end of any structure
yellow band
- V. dybowskii vertexvertex:
the area between the ocelli and the back of the head
reddish-brown or dark brown (Archer 1992)(Archer 1992):
Archer ME. 1992. The taxonomy of Vespa crabro L. and V. dybowskii Andreacute; (Hym., Vespinae). Entomologistrsquo;s Monthly Magazine 128: 157ndash;163.
Vespa simillima
- V. simillima metasomal tergumtergum:
the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a speciifc segment, such as T1, T2, etc.
3 transverse basalbasal:
originating at the foundation of a structure
black bandband:
usually referring to bands of hair or bands of color that traverse across an abdominal segment
simple, barely undulating (Kimsey and Carpenter 2012)(Kimsey and Carpenter 2012):
Kimsey LS amp; JM Carpenter. 2012. The Vespinae of North America. Journal of Hymenoptera Research 28: 37ndash;65. Doi.org/10.3897/jhr.28.3514.
- V. simillima female clypeal punctures medially, shallow, separated by 1 puncture diameter or more
- V. simillima male metasomal sternasterna:
the plates on the underside of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment, like S1, S2, etc.
6 and 7 apicomedial margin deeply emarginate
Known introductions
Vespa crabro has been introduced to the eastern United States (Akre 1982)(Akre 1982):
Akre RD. 1982. Social wasps. Social Insects 4: 1ndash;105..
