TAXONOMY DISTRIBUTION AND NESTING BIOLOGY OF THE SPECIES OF THE GENUS PARAVESPULA OR THE VESPULA VULGARIS SPECIES GROUP (HYMENOPTERA: VESPIDAE)

摘要

This paper brings together information for the species of the genus Paravespula (Vespula vulgaris species group) with an analysis of habitat and nest site characteristics, distribution and nesting biology. The nesting biology is mainly about numericaldescription of successful colonies and the determination of critical dates in their colony cycle. TAXONOMY AND DISTRIBUTION The genus Vespula Thomson, 1869 (Carpenter & Kojima, 1997) consists of two species groups called the V. vulgaris and V. rufa species groups. These two species groups can be treated as genera with the V. vulgaris species group named Paravespula Bliithgen, 1938 and the V. rufa species group retaining Vespula (Archer, 1989a). Paravespula consists of eleven species (Archer, 1989a, 1989b; Eck, 1999). Carpenter & Kojima (1977) listed an additional two species, namely: P. arisana Sonan, 1929 and P. inexspectata Eck, 1994. Archer (1989b) suggested it is premature to recognise these two species until further specimens have been examined.P. arisana is very similar to P. orbata and P. inexspectata could be a variety of P. vulgaris. Eck (1999) described a new species, P. rufosignata, using colour and width of gena characteristics to separate it from P. vulgaris. Unfortunately males are not yet available for this new species.