Vespula rufa
| Vespula rufa | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Vespula rufa on Bupleurum falcatum flowers | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Suborder: | Apocrita |
| Family: | Vespidae |
| Genus: | Vespula |
| Species: | V. rufa |
| Binomial name | |
|
Vespula rufa (Linnaeus, 1758) |
|
| Synonyms | |
Vespula rufa, commonly known as the red wasp, is a social wasp species belonging to the Vespula genus. It is found in northern and central Europe, parts of Asia, and northern parts of North America.Vespula rufa is characterized by red-brown markings and body segmentation, with the appearance varying amongst the different roles of individuals in the species. These wasps build small nests in dry banks underground that are not far below the surface. The colony cycle begins in the fall.Vespula rufa feed on live insects. One interesting fact about Vespula rufa is that the queen policing occurs in the species, and that worker policing occurs at much lower rates than other species in the Vespula genus. There are predators and parasites of the species. The species goes through a series of events before leaving the nest.
Vespula rufa is a member of the genus Vespula. Within the genus, this species is most closely related to Vespula squamosa. Other species in the Vespula genus include Vespula germanica, Vespula maculifrons, and Vespula vulgaris. Outside of the genus, Dolichovespula is the next most closely related genus. The northern red-banded yellowjacket was referred to as V. intermedia in North America. This differs from typical Red Wasps, V. rufa, of the western Palearctic that have ivory rather than yellow markings. Eastern Palaearctic populations also have ivory markings and this form has been called V. rufa schrenckii. Due to the variability of the brownish markings, which can be seen from specimens throughout its range, V. intermedia has become equivalent to V. rufa schrenckii. However, pale-marked populations also occur within the range of the V. rufa in Scandinavia and Central Asia. There are various wasps within the ‘subspecies’ of V. rufa, including Vespula acadica, however they are now viewed as little more than color forms rather than formal taxa, and the species is regarded as monotypic.
...
Wikipedia