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Chemical attractants for trapping temperate social wasps have been discovered during the screening of chemicals as attractants for flies, the study of pentatomid bug pheromones, and the testing of volatiles of fermented sweet baits. Wasp attraction to these chemicals seems to be related to either food-finding or prey-finding behavior. Of these attractive chemicals, commercial lures marketed in North America for trapping wasps generally contain heptyl butyrate, or the combination of acetic acid and 2-methyl-1-butanol. Heptyl butyrate is a very good attractant for two major pest wasp species in North America and minor wasp pests in the Vespula rufa species group. The combination of acetic acid with isobutanol attracted nearly all North American pest species of social wasps, including yellowjackets (Vespula and Dolichovespula), a hornet (Vespa crabro), and several paper wasps (Polistes spp.). The testing of wasp chemical attractants in different geographic areas demonstrated responses of many wasp taxa and showed a broad potential scope for the marketing of trap lures. Comparisons of compounds structurally similar to isobutanol revealed similar activity with 2-methyl-1-butanol, which is now used commercially because of a vapor pressure that is more favorable than isobutanol for formulations and dispensers. Doses and concentrations needed for good wasp catches were determined for heptyl butyrate, acetic acid, isobutanol, and 2-methyl-1-butanol, either formulated in water or dispensed from a controlled release device. Trap designs were developed based on consumer considerations; visual appeal, ease and safety of use, and low environmental impact. The resultant lures and traps are marketed in numerous physical and on-line retail outlets throughout the United States and southern Canada.

In recent years, five new species of Vespinae have been described from Yunnan Province, China. A thorough assessment of these taxa, including study of color differences and compilation of measurements of specimens from six entomological collections, shows that the new taxa are merely variants of existing, nominal species. Thus, all five are synonymized here, as follows: Vespa hekouensis Dong and Wang, and Vespa maguanensis Dong = Vespa analis Fabricius; Vespula yulongensis Dong and Wang = Vespula flaviceps (Smith); Vespula nujiangensis Dong and Wang = Vespula orbata (du Buysson); and Vespula gongshanensis Dong = Vespula rufa (Linnaeus), all NEW SYNONYMY. The synonymies bring the current number of vespine species recognized worldwide to 67.

The long-term studies (1986–2003) of raised bogs of Belarus revealed 167 species of aculeates belonging to 7 families: Sapygidae (1), Chrysididae (11), Pompilidae (19), Eumenidae (19), Vespidae (9), Sphecidae (76), and Apidae (32). The dominant species (not counting ants) are Vespula rufa (16.6%), Bombus jonellus (11.3%), B. lucorum (7.5%), Anoplius nigerrimus (5.1%), B. pascuorum (3.9%), Passaloecus turionum (3.8%), Argogorytes mystaceus (3.2%), Dipogon bifasciatus (3.1%), Pemphredon lugens (3.0%), and Trypoxylon attenuatum (2.6%). Approximately two-thirds of the species found in raised bogs nest in the upper layer. The spatial distribution of aculeates depends primarily on the distance from the bog margins and the presence of contrasting areas, such as lake banks or glades. The highest activity of various aculeate families (except for Vespidae) was observed in June. The total abundance of aculeates was found to be correlated with solar activity, the strongest correlation being observed in Vespidae. The abundance of different wasp families varied noticeably from year to year, depending on climatic parameters.

Mutual policing is an important mechanism for maintaining social harmony in group-living organisms. In some ants, bees, and wasps, workers police male eggs laid by other workers in order to maintain the reproductive primacy of the queen. Kin selection theory predicts that multiple mating by the queen is one factor that can selectively favor worker policing. This is because when the queen is mated to multiple males, workers are more closely related to queen's sons than to the sons of other workers. Here we provide an additional test of worker policing theory in Vespinae wasps. We show that the yellowjacket Vespula rufa is characterized by low mating frequency, and that a significant percentage of the males are workers' sons. This supports theoretical predictions for paternities below 2, and contrasts with other Vespula species, in which paternities are higher and few or no adult males are worker produced, probably due to worker policing, which has been shown in one species, Vespula vulgaris. Behavioral observations support the hypothesis that V. rufa has much reduced worker policing compared to other Vespula. In addition, a significant proportion of worker-laid eggs were policed by the queen. ispartof: Evolution vol:59 issue:6 pages:1306-14 ispartof: location:United States status: published

Using Moericke's yellow dishes we studied the Hymenoptera (Aculeata) fauna (with the exception of Formicoidea) in spruce (Picea abies) stands of the colder region of Northern Bohemia. We collected 103 species and the most important species in this spectrum were Vespula vulgaris (56.4%), Vespula rufa (4.7%), Dolichovespula norvegica (3.1%), Dolichovespula saxonica (4%), Nysson spinosus (1.8%), Andrena lappona (1.9%), Cleptes semiauratus (5.9%), Halictus sp. (6.7%) and Trypoxylon minus (2.2%). Comparisons made in 1990-1994 and 1995-1999 indicated a recession of species of the genus Halictus, of Andrena nitida (Apidae), Pemphredon lugubris, Trypoxylon clavicerum and T. minus (Sphecidae), and an increased abundance of Cleptes semiau- ratus (Cleptidae), Nysson spinosus (Sphecidae), Vespula vulgaris and V. rufa (Vespidae). Compared to closed stands, open spruce stands had a greater species diversity and lower number of captured specimens.

The Hymenoptera (Aculeata) fauna was studied in birch stands (Betula pendula Roth) of colder areas of Northern Bohemia using the method of Moericke's yellow traps. Altogether 159 species were trapped; the most important were Andrena lappona, Vespula vulgaris, Halictus sp., Trypoxylon minus and Vespula rufa. Only 12.7% of the species are widely spread in this ecosystem type. In 1990-1994 and in 1995-1999 we compared the abundance of the fauna and discovered that many species of the families Apidae and Sphecidae receded from the birch stands due to changing site conditions (light, weed infestation).

A high number of (GT)n and (CT)n microsatellites were isolated from a partial genomic library of primitively eusocial wasp, Vespula rufa. On average, (GT)n and (CT)n repeats occur in the genome approximately every 8 kb and 2.5 kb respectively. This is the highest density of dinucleotide microsatellites reported in the literature. Predominant categories of repeats are imperfect and compound repeats for (GT)n microsatellites and perfect repeats for (CT)n microsatellites. Comparisons with other Hymenoptera and with mammalian species showed significant differences in the frequency distribution of these categories of repeats. Many (CT)n and (GT)n repeats are surrounded by various types of microsatellites, suggesting an associative distribution of short tandem repeats. A high level of intracolonial polymorphism is demonstrated with one microsatellite locus, showing that multiple mating of the queen occurs in V. rufa.

Vespula rufa (Linnaeus) Vespa rufa Linnaeus 1758: 572. Vespula schrenckii (Radszkowski): Starr 1992: 110., Published as part of Kojima, Jun-Ichi, Saito, Fuki & Nguyen, Lien Thi Phuong, 2011, On the species-group taxa of Taiwanese social wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) described and / or treated by J. Sonan, pp. 42-64 in Zootaxa 2920 on page 46, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.201805, {"references":["Linnaeus, C. (1758) Systema Naturae. Tomus 1. Editio decima, reformata. Laurentii Salvii, Holmiae, iv + 824 pp.","Starr, C. K. (1992) The social wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) of Taiwan. Bulletin of the National Museum of Natural Science, (3), 93 - 138."]}

The use of distance data in phylogenetic inference retains adherents in molecular systematics, despite the well-established cladistic critique of distances. Molecular distance matrices have been supposed to measure evolutionary divergence; how- ever, trees based upon analyses of such matrices are generally uninterpretable as doing so-under realistic conditions (Farris, 1981, 1985, 1986). In addition, con- version of character data (for example, molecular sequences) to distances discards information (e.g. Farris, 1981). Adherents of distances have usually defended the approach by invoking restrictive assumptions (for example, additivity in expecta- tion, so that the distances may be interpreted as statistical estimates of actual evolu- tionary divergence; Felsenstein, 1984, 1986). It has also been claimed that conversion of character data to distances may be preferable under certain circumstances (Swofford and Olsen, 1990: 422, 425), because: (1) sequences are not intuitively meaningful: (2) p resuppositions about evolutionary processes can be invoked to estimate unseen events (i.e. correct for non-additivity); and (3) numerous methods for distance analyses exist. A superficially more critical “reason” for preferring distances is the argument that parsimony uses only a small fraction of the data, by which is meant the informative characters (e.g. Li and Graur, 1991: 114). Redolent as this argument is of syncretist “criticism” of cladistic classification, it is actually based upon simulations “demonstrating” that parsimony may give incorrect results, relative to distance methods predicated upon the simulated conditions. That is to say, the argument is a conclusion following from the assumptions of the simula- tions All of these defenses of distances are thus alike, in relying upon a p%ri assumptions about evolutionary processes. But which assumptions should be made? And suppose that the assumptions are violated-how may this be determined? Most studies using distance analyses do not consider these questions at all. Examination of the assumptions of a given distance analysis is instructive, for the data themselves frequently provide evidence that the assumptions are violated. The analy- sis is then internally contradictory, a point which is emphasized when the results are contrasted with the results from a distance analysis that is not predicated on the same assumptions. Such cases do not only support the preference for character analysis over distances, they argue against a prioti assumptions in phylogenetic inference in general. I will illustrate this with an example from a recent study on social wasps.

Vespula rufa (LINNAEUS 1758) L o c a l i t i e s:AnoParoia,LargePlateau,yellowpantrapataldercarr,8.8.- 13.8.2007, 1 º. Neo Petritsi, Sultanitsa, 19.5.- 25.5.2008, 1♀; 7.- 13.7.2008, 1 º; 21.- 27.7.2008, 2 ºº; 1.9.- 7.9.2008, 1 º. Vironia, Beabies, 9.- 15.6.2008, 1 º; 23.- 29.6.2008, 1 º. Vironia, Ramna, 16.6.- 22.6.2008, 2 ºº; 23.- 29.6.2008, 1 º; 30.6.- 6.7.2008, 1 º; 7.7.- 13.7.2008, 2 ºº; 14.- 20.7.2007, 1 º; 19.7.2009, yellow pan traps, 2WW. The four localities are in hilly and montane damp and forested areas at 630-1485 m. Holarctic forest species which can also inhabit coniferous forests. The southern European mountains represent the southern borders of the species’ distribution. The only previous finds from Greece are mentioned in an unpublished dissertation by ĆETKOVIĆ 2002. The first published records from Greece., Published as part of Dvořák, L. & Ramel, G., 2009, Social wasps of Wetland Kerkini, northern Greece (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Vespinae, Polistinae), pp. 1937-1948 in Linzer biologische Beiträge 41 (2) on page 1944, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5280255, {"references":["CETKOVIC A. (2002): Diverzitet faune socijalnih osa (Vespinae et Polistinae, Vespidae, Hymenoptera) Balkanskog poluostrva i susednih regiona - biogeografski i taksonomski aspekti. [Diversity of the social wasps of the Balkan Peninsula and the adjacent regions - biogeographical and taxonomic aspects (Vespinae et Polistinae, Vespidae, Hymenoptera)]. - Ph. D. Thesis, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, 331 pp. (in Serbo-Croatian, English abstract)."]}

Genetic relationships of eight northern European yellowjacket species, representingVespula s. str. (therufa group),Paravespula thevulgaris group) andDolichovespula, are here studied by enzyme electrophoresis. The observed level of intraspecific genic variation is relatively low, and the southern Finnish populations show no clear-cut geographic differences. The allozyme characters are further used to construct phylogenetic trees by four tree-building techniques. It is suggested thatDolichovespula media is not phylogenetically closely related to other EuropeanDolichovespula species, and thatParavespula andVespula s. str. may not form a single monophyletic group. Two of the species studied,V. austriaca andD. omissa, are obligatory social parasites. In both cases the parasite is related to its host. This supports the hypothesis that the social parasite generally arises from the same ancestral stock as the host species.

This paper presents some observations recently made on three nests of the yellow-jacket, Vespula arenaria (Fabricius) [= diabolica H. de Saussure], which had been parasitized by Vespula adulterina var. arctica Rohwer, and on a nest of Vespula rufa var. vidua (H. de Saussure), which had been invaded by a queen of Vespula squamosa (Drury), suspected of being a facultative, temporary social parasite. To this are added some remarks on the origin and evolution of social parasitism in the genus Vespula.

The intensification of farming practices, along with the loss and fragmentation of semi-natural habitats within agricultural areas, has contributed significantly to insect decline worldwide including flower-visiting aculeate Hymenoptera. In this study aculeate Hymenoptera were collected using bi-directional Malaise traps placed along farmland linear habitats across a range of farming intensities. The aim was to further our understanding of the value of farmland linear habitats to this insect group and in particular the Vespinae, an understudied subfamily. Overall, significantly greater aculeate Hymenoptera species richness was found on extensive than on intermediate and intensive farms. Significantly more species and specimens were collected on the side of the traps adjacent to the linear habitats compared to the side which opened onto the fields. Aculeate Hymenoptera species richness was also significantly greater in dense hedgerows than in open hedgerows. Furthermore, two out of six Vespinae species, Vespula rufa and Vespula vulgaris, had significantly more individuals on extensive than intensive farms. This study highlights that low-intensity farming practices and farmland linear habitats, especially dense hedgerows, may enhance aculeate Hymenoptera occurrence in agricultural areas. It also demonstrates that Malaise traps set up along linear habitats across a range of farming intensities can make a significant contribution to knowledge regarding the biodiversity value of such areas. Given that selected Vespinae species follow similar trends to aculeate Hymenoptera, the possibility of using them as simple biodiversity indicators is worthy of further exploration.© 2019 The Royal Entomological Society