[NatureNS] Yellow jackets

From: Christopher Majka <c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
Date: Sun, 24 May 2009 09:56:40 -0300
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Greetings all,

On 24-May-09, at 8:50 AM, bdigout@seaside.ns.ca wrote:

> Maybe a stupid question... Is a yellow jacket just another name for a
> wasp??
> liz

The word "wasp" refers to a large number of insects in the Order  
Hymenoptera which includes wasps, bees, ants, and other related  
insects (hornets, sawflies, velvet ants, etc.) There are estimated to  
be over 10,000 species in the Order Hymenoptera in Canada.

Lay people often use the word "wasp" in a more restrictive sense to  
refer large, communally-nesting, potentially stinging wasps in the  
family Vespidae, particularly those in the family Vespinae  
(yellowjackets and bald-faced hornets), and  Polistinae (paper wasps  
in the genus Polistes). There are about a dozen or more of these in  
Nova Scotia.

The largest one, Dolichovespula maculata (Linnaeus) is called the  
"bald-faced hornet" (not actually a true "hornet" which refers to  
wasps in the genus Vespa), and the slightly smaller species are  
colloquially called "yellowjackets" (Vespula spp.) as a result of  
their banded yellow and black coloration. The Common Paper Wasp,  
Polistes fuscatus (Fabricius), which can also pack quite a sting, is  
also abundant in Nova Scotia.

For more information on these visit the following Wikipedia web pages:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellowjacket
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bald-faced_hornet
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polistes

All the best,

Chris


Christopher Majka  <c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca> | Halifax, Nova Scotia,  
Canada

* Research Associate: Nova Scotia Museum | http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mnh/research-asfr.htm
* Review Editor: The Coleopterists Bulletin | http://www.coleopsoc.org/
* Subject Editor: ZooKeys | http://pensoftonline.net/zookeys/index.php/journal/index
* Associate Editor: Journal of the Acadian Entomological Society | http://www.acadianes.org/journal.html
* Editor: Atlantic Canada Coleoptera | http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Environment/NHR/atlantic_coleoptera.html

"Whenever I hear of the capture of rare beetles, I feel like an old  
war-horse at the sound of a trumpet." - Charles Darwin


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<html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; =
-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Greetings =
all,<div><br><div><div>On 24-May-09, at 8:50 AM, <a =
href=3D"mailto:bdigout@seaside.ns.ca">bdigout@seaside.ns.ca</a> =
wrote:</div><br class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><div><blockquote =
type=3D"cite">Maybe a stupid question... Is a yellow jacket just another =
name for a<br></blockquote><blockquote =
type=3D"cite">wasp??<br></blockquote><blockquote =
type=3D"cite">liz</blockquote></div><br></div><div>The word "wasp" =
refers to a large number of insects in the Order Hymenoptera which =
includes wasps, bees, ants, and other related insects (hornets, =
sawflies, velvet ants, etc.) There are estimated to be over 10,000 =
species in the Order Hymenoptera in Canada.</div><div><br></div><div>Lay =
people often use the word "wasp" in a more restrictive sense to refer =
large,&nbsp;communally-nesting, potentially stinging wasps in the family =
Vespidae, particularly those in the family Vespinae (yellowjackets and =
bald-faced hornets), and &nbsp;Polistinae (paper wasps in the genus =
<i>Polistes</i>). There are about a dozen or more of these in Nova =
Scotia.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The largest =
one,&nbsp;<i>Dolichovespula maculata</i> (Linnaeus) is called the =
"bald-faced hornet" (not actually a true "hornet" which refers to wasps =
in the genus <i>Vespa</i>), and the slightly smaller species are =
colloquially called "yellowjackets" (<i>Vespula</i> spp.) as a result of =
their banded yellow and black coloration. The Common Paper =
Wasp,&nbsp;<i>Polistes fuscatus</i> (Fabricius), which can also pack =
quite a sting, is also abundant in Nova =
Scotia.</div><div><br></div><div>For more information on these visit the =
following Wikipedia web pages:</div><div><br></div><div><a =
href=3D"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellowjacket">http://en.wikipedia.org=
/wiki/Yellowjacket</a></div><div><a =
href=3D"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bald-faced_hornet">http://en.wikipedi=
a.org/wiki/Bald-faced_hornet</a></div><div><a =
href=3D"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polistes">http://en.wikipedia.org/wik=
i/Polistes</a></div><div><br></div><div>All the =
best,</div><div><br></div><div>Chris</div></div><br><br><div =
apple-content-edited=3D"true"> <span class=3D"Apple-style-span" =
style=3D"border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: =
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