Vespinae Latreille 1802
Creators: name: Dvořák, Libor
name: Roberts, Stuart P. M.
name: Pla, Šumava Np and
name: Caer
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2006
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Vespidae

description: Key to the social wasps (Vespinae)  Social wasps can be easily distinguished from paper wasps by having tergum 1 parallel-sided.  
 1 Vertex long. Distance of ocellus to apical margin of head ca 3-4 times as long as distance of ocellus to compound eye (Fig. 23)............................... Vespa crabro Linnaeus, 1758   
 – Vertex not so long. Distance of ocellus to apical margin of head only slightly longer than distance of ocellus to compound eye (Fig. 24).............................................................. 2   
 2 Oculo-malar space short – distance between mandible and lower margin of eye small, shorter than width of antennal scape (Fig. 25). Vespula Thomson, 1869...................... 3   
 – Oculo-malar space long – distance between mandible and lower margin of eye large, the same or longer than width of antennal scape (Fig. 38). Dolichovespula Rohwer, 1916........................................................................................................................................ 6   
 3 Ocular sinus entirely yellow. Tergum 1 with pale hairs (Fig. 26).................................. 4   
 – Ocular sinus yellow only in the lower part. Tergum 1 with black hairs (Fig. 31).......... 5   
 4 Margin behind third mandibular tooth distinctly concave (Fig. 27). Males: Aedeagus without small backwardly directed pointed barb on each side bellow apical spoon-shaped region. Aedeagus emarginate apically (Fig. 28)............................................................... ............................................................................. Vespula germanica (Fabricius, 1793)   
 – Margin behind third mandibular tooth straight (Fig. 29). Males: Aedeagus with small backwardly directed pointed barb on each side bellow apical spoon-shaped region. Aedeagus rounded apically (Fig. 30)................................ Vespula vulgaris (Linnaeus, 1758)   
 5 Hind tibia with short hairs only (Fig. 32). Anterior angles of clypeus bluntly produced in queens and workers (Fig. 33). Males: Apex of aedeagus with shallow emargination in middle, sides of its apical part with shallow emargination (Fig. 34)............................... ........................................................................................ Vespula rufa (Linnaeus, 1758)   
 – Hind tibia with short yellow and long black hairs on outer margins (Fig. 35). Anterior angles of clypeus sharply produced in queens (Fig. 36). Parasitic species, without workers. Males: Apex of aedeagus straight in middle, sides of its apical part distinctly emarginated (Fig. 37).......................................................... Vespula austriaca (Panzer, 1799)   
 6 Lower pronotum rugose (Fig. 39). Ocular sinus almost entirely yellow..................................................................................................... Dolichovespula media (Retzius, 1783)   
 – Lower pronotum not rugose (Fig. 40). Ocular sinus yellow in lower part..................... 7   
 7 Lower third of clypeus with dense and coarse punctures. Distances between punctures on the centre of clypeus more or less equal to puncture diameter (Fig. 41). Clypeus yellow, rarely with 1-3 black spots in middle............................................................................. 8   
 – Lower third of clypeus with sparse and fine punctures. Distances between punctures on the centre of clypeus larger than puncture diameter (Fig. 45). Clypeus usually with black longitudinal stripe which is sometimes reduced into 1-3 black spots in middle; exceptionally completely yellow................................................................................................... 9   
 8 Anterior angles of clypeus sharply produced and pointed apically in queens (Fig. 41) and rectangular in males. Sting distinctly curved. Parasitic species, without workers. Males: Gonostipes narrow, inner side parallel up to ¾ of length, then slightly bow-shaped and not elongated backwards (Fig. 42).................. Dolichovespula omissa (Bischoff, 1931)   
 – Anterior angles of clypeus bluntly produced in all castes (Fig. 43). Sting straight. Males: Gonostipes wide, inner side weakly emarginated basally, then parallel and elongated backwards (Fig. 44).............................................. Dolichovespula sylvestris (Scopoli, 1763)   
 9 Anterior angles of clypeus sharply produced and pointed apically in queens (Fig. 45) and rectangular in males. Sting distinctly curved. Parasitic species, without workers. Males: Aedeagus laterally compressed, narrow, and pointed basally. Gonostipes parallel up to ¾ of length, then the inner side slightly bow-shaped (Fig. 46).............................................................................................................. Dolichovespula adulterina (Buysson, 1904)   
 – Anterior angles of clypeus bluntly produced in all castes (Fig. 47). Sting straight. Males: Aedeagus wide, spoon-shaped basally. Inner side of gonostipes parallel up to ½ of length, then distinctly bow-shaped (Figs. 49, 51).................................................................... 10   
 10 Ocelli in equilateral triangle, distance from hind ocelli to margin of vertex equal or longer than distance between posterior ocelli (Fig. 48). Tergum 2 without red colour. Mesopleura nearly always with bright hairs. Males: Dorsal inner margin of gonostipes strongly projecting inwards, posterior side straight or slightly concave (Fig. 49)......................... .................................................................... Dolichovespula saxonica (Fabricius, 1793)   
 – Ocelli in distinctly obtusangulate triangle, distance from hind ocelli to margin of vertex shorter than distance between posterior ocelli (Fig. 50). Tergum 2 usually with red colour. Mesopleura nearly always with black hairs. Males: Dorsal inner margin of gonostipes slightly projecting inwards, posterior side distinctly concave (Fig. 51).......................... ................................................................. Dolichovespula norwegica (Fabricius, 1781)
description: Published as part of Dvořák, Libor, Roberts, Stuart P. M., Pla, Šumava Np and & Caer, 2006, Key to the paper and social wasps of Central Europe (Hymenoptera: Vespidae), pp. 221-244 in Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 46 on pages 226-231, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5327984