Abispa Mitchell, 1838

Carpenter, James M. & Brown, Graham R., 2021, Catalogue of the Australian Eumeninae (Hymenoptera: Vespidae), Zootaxa 4919 (1), pp. 1-68 : 20

Genus Abispa Mitchell

Abispa Mitchell 1838: 104 , subgenus of Vespa Linnaeus.

Type species: Vespa (Abispa) australiana Mitchell 1838 , by monotypy.

Monerebia de Saussure 1852: 98 , genus.

Type species: Odynerus splendidus Guérin-Méneville 1838 , by subsequent designation of van der Vecht 1960: 92.

Taxonomy: de Saussure 1855: 169 (genus; syn.: Monerebia de Saussure ).— Smith 1857: 42 (Monorebia [!]; syn. of Abispa Mitchell ).— Ashmead 1902: 208 (Abisba [!]; invalid designation of type species Vespa ephippium Fabricius as type species, not originally included).— Perkins 1912: 120 (male antenna).— Meade-Waldo 1914: 461 (syn. of Polistes Latreille ; Monerebia a valid genus).— Bridwell 1919: 120, 121 (Monerobia [!]; syn. of Abispa Mitchell ).—van der Vecht 1960: 95–96 (key to species).— Cardale 1985: 160–162 (cat. Australian species).

Distribution: Australia and New Guinea.

Ethology: The nests are familiar objects, large mud structures, consisting of multiple cells with thick walls, covered with pellets, and with a downwardly pointing entrance funnel that is destroyed at the end of construction; provisioning is either mass or progressive; prey: micolepidopterous caterpillars. Mating has observed to be scramble competition at water, and trap-lining of nests.