Thread subject: Diptera.info :: Vespidae
Posted by Rui Andrade on 15-10-2007 20:47
#1
Hi!
I have been having some trouble in telling apart the two genera Vespula and Dolichovespula and the different species inside of each genus.
I'll show you here two different specimens: the specimen from the 1st and 2nd photo was seen by me on 2006/09/23 and the 3rd photo was taken on 2006/08/20 (I don't have a photo showing the face).
Are these two individuals from the same species? How can I tell apart the two genera and the different species?
Thank you
location: Barcelos, Portugal
Edited by Rui Andrade on 15-10-2007 20:49
Posted by cthirion on 15-10-2007 21:00
#2
Vespula germanica 2=male
3=queen
Posted by Rui Andrade on 15-10-2007 21:09
#3
Thank you, cthirion
What characters do I need to look for?
Posted by cthirion on 15-10-2007 21:50
#4
Gaster dorsally, clypeus!:)
Posted by Rui Andrade on 15-10-2007 22:05
#5
Thank you :)
I already knew the "face" was important to the identification, but telling apart the most common species from Vespula and Dolichovespula gets me crazy :|.
It is V. germanica because the three spots in the clypeus, right?
Posted by Isidro on 15-10-2007 22:27
#6
Right.
Posted by Rui Andrade on 15-10-2007 22:34
#7
Thank you, Isidro :)!
Posted by cthirion on 16-10-2007 10:42
#8
Not right, other specie with that on clypeus!;)
germanica with one spot only on clypeus;)
Posted by Isidro on 16-10-2007 13:46
#9
All V. germanica that I've seen have three spots... What's the other species thit three spots also?
Posted by Tony T on 16-10-2007 15:01
#10
Rui Andrade wrote:
I have been having some trouble in telling apart the two genera Vespula and Dolichovespula
I wrote an article on North American species. Here is 1 of the figures:
Vespula has narrow oculo-malar space; wide in
Dolichovespula, Also
D. has a yellow vertical line on thorax.
Posted by jorgemotalmeida on 16-10-2007 17:33
#11
Great stuff, Tony! Thank you. :) This is a very valuable tool!
Let me know if Vespa crabro exists in Canada. Here they are pretty common. Big wasps and awesome!
Posted by Rui Andrade on 16-10-2007 19:12
#12
Thank you all :)
Tony, those are great pictures, as usual ;).
Posted by Christian Schmid-Egger on 16-10-2007 22:15
#13
Vespula germanica is also to recognize by the color pattern of tergum I. Look for the anchor like spot. It works in 98% of the females. V. vulgaris normally has a continuus black band on tergum I.
For me, all three specimens are females (workers or queens).
Regards, Christian
Posted by Rui Andrade on 17-10-2007 09:30
#14
Thank you for this new valuable information Christian :).
Posted by cthirion on 17-10-2007 20:19
#15
"V. vulgaris normally has a continuus black band on tergum I."
except Vespula vulgaris pseudogermanica!;)
Posted by Rui Andrade on 17-10-2007 20:25
#16
cthirion wrote:
"V. vulgaris normally has a continuus black band on tergum I."
except Vespula vulgaris pseudogermanica!;)
And does this subspecies exist in Portugal?
Posted by Christian Schmid-Egger on 18-10-2007 07:50
#17
except Vespula vulgaris pseudogermanica!;)[/quote]
And does this subspecies exist in Portugal?[/quote]
V.v. pseudogermana is not a subspecies but a color variety which may be occur anywhere. Above, I said that about 98 % of germanica have this color pattern, the remaining may be vulgaris. But the color pattern in pseudogermanica is not exact the same as in the above shown germanica.
Otherwise, Vespidae ID only by color don't work for 100%, and also the clypeus is variable. Best character for both species is form of the tip of the mandible (character not visible on the first photo, because to dark).
Regards, Christian
Posted by Rui Andrade on 19-10-2007 13:21
#18
Thank you Christian, next time I will try to photograph the tip of the mandible ;)