Vespa orientalis Linnaeus

Smith-Pardo, Allan H., Carpenter, James M. & Kimsey, Lynn, 2020, The Diversity of Hornets in the Genus Vespa (Hymenoptera: Vespidae; Vespinae), Their Importance and Interceptions in the United States, Insect Systematics and Diversity 4 (3), No. 2, pp. 1-27 : 17-18

Vespa orientalis Linnaeus

Figs. 9a, 9b , and 40

Vespa orientalis Linnaeus, 1771: 540 . Holotype female; ‘Oriente’ (LONDON-LS).

Vespa turcica Drury, 1773: 74 . Type unknown; Turkey: Smyrna (destroyed?) .

Vespa quadripunctata Forskål, 1775: 84 ; Type?; Egypt: Cairo, ‘ Kahirae ’ (COPENHAGEN?) .

Vespa crabro fusca Christ, 1791: 216 . Type unknown; Turkey: ‘Smirna’ (destroyed).

Vespa aegyptiaca Vallot, 1802: 170 ; Type unknown; Egypt (repository unknown).

Vespa nilotica Vallot, 1802: 170 ; Type unknown; Egypt (repository unknown).

Vespa jurinei de Saussure, 1854: 133 ; Lectotype female (designated by Guiglia, 1971: 94); Albania (LONDON-NHM).

Vespa orientalis var. aegyptiaca André, 1884: 584 ’ Type unknown; Egypt: Cairo, Alexandria ‘ Le Caire, Alexandrie’ ( PARIS). Nec Vespa aegyptiaca Vallot, 1802 .

Vespa indica Wroughton, 1889: 35 . Lapsus for Vespa orientalis Linnaeus.

Vespa orientalis var. zavattarii Guiglia and Capra, 1933: 168 . Syntype females; Libya: ‘Fezzan, Ubari; Algeria: Oued Tizzi’ ( GENOA) .

Vespa orientalis var. somalica Giordani Soika, 1934: 184 . Lectotype female (designated by Giordani Soika, 1973: 11); Somalia: ‘Somalia italiana di Carim’ (VENICE).

Vespa orientalis arabica Giordani Soika, 1957: 482 . Holotype female; Yemen: ‘ Western Aden Protectorate: Al Milah’ (LONDON-NHM).

Distribution. north Africa, southern Europe, Turkey, Middle East, southern Russia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, China (Xinjiang). Introduced into Czech Republic; Spain; Madagascar; Mexico.

Discussion. This is a distinctively marked reddish orange and yellow wasp. The nests are built in the ground in rodent burrows or rock crevices ( Archer 1998a). Around human habitation, nests have also been found in empty beehives, under eaves or floorboards, and even in abandoned outhouses. It has been recorded from Mexico but is evidently not established ( Dvořák 2006). Vespa orientalis are scavengers, feeding on nectar and fruit as well as insects and carrion. They also prey on honeybees and other pollinators. A study by Plotkin et al. (2010) found that this species has a novel form of photosynthesis using yellow pigments in the cuticle.

Figures

Figs. 9–12. Vespa morphology. (a, b) Dorsal view of metasoma. (c, d) Dorsal view of basal metasomal terga. Fig. 10. (a, b) Dorsal view of scutum. (c, d) Dorsal view of metasoma. Fig. 11. (a, b) Lateral view of head. (c, d) Dorsal view of metasoma. Fig. 12. (a, b) Front view of clypeus.(c-f) Dorsal view of metanotum. Figs. 9a, 9b,V. orientalis. Figs. 9c, 10b, d, V. affinis. Fig. 9d, V. crabro. Figs. 10a, 10c, 11b, 11c, V. mocsaryana. Fig. 11a, V. fumida. Fig. 11d. V. dybowskii. Figs. 12a, 12f, V. multimaculata. Figs. 12b, d, e, V. bicolor. Fig. 12c, V. luctuosa.

Figs. 40 and 41. Vespa color forms, (a) Lateral view. (b) Dorsal view. (c) Front view of face. Fig. 40. V. orientalis. Fig. 41. V. philippinensis.