Vespula is a small genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 of social wasp

Wasp

The term wasp is typically defined as any insect of the order Hymenoptera and suborder Apocrita that is neither a bee nor an ant. Almost every pest insect species has at least one wasp species that preys upon it or parasitizes it, making wasps critically important in natural control of their...

s, widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere

Northern Hemisphere

The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...

. Along with members of their sister genus Dolichovespula

Dolichovespula

Dolichovespula is a small genus of social wasps distributed widely throughout the Northern Hemisphere. The yellow and black members of the genus are known by the common name yellowjackets in North America along with members of their sister genus Vespula...

, they are collectively known by the common name

Common name

A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...

 yellowjacket

Yellowjacket

Yellowjacket is the common name in North America for predatory wasps of the genera Vespula and Dolichovespula. Members of these genera are known simply as "wasps" in other English-speaking countries...

s (or yellow-jackets) in North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

. Vespula species have a shorter oculo-malar space (shown in the figure below) and a more pronounced tendency to nest underground than Dolichovespula.

Notable species

• Two of the common European species (the German wasp
  German wasp
  The German wasp, or European wasp, Vespula germanica, is a wasp found in much of the Northern Hemisphere, native to Europe, northern Africa, and temperate Asia. It has been introduced and is well-established in many other places, including North America, South America , Australia and New Zealand...
  
  , Vespula germanica and the common wasp
  Common wasp
  The common wasp, Vespula vulgaris, known in the US as the yellowjacket, is found in much of the Northern Hemisphere and has been introduced to Australia and New Zealand. It is a eusocial vespid which builds its grey paper nest in or on a structure capable of supporting it...
  
  , Vespula vulgaris) have been established in North America
  North America
  North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
  
  , southern Africa
  Africa
  Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
  
  , New Zealand
  New Zealand
  New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
  
  , and eastern Australia
  Australia
  Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
  
  .

• The eastern yellowjacket, (Vespula maculifrons), and western yellowjacket, (Vespula pensylvanica), are native to North America.

List of Species

• Vespula acadica (Sladen, 1918)
• Vespula arisana (Sonan, 1929)
• Vespula atropilosa (Sladen, 1918)
• Vespula austriaca (Panzer, 1799)
• Vespula consobrina (Saussure, 1854)
• Vespula flaviceps
  Vespula flaviceps
  Vespula flaviceps is a species of social wasp in the genus Vespula. It found in Eastern Asia and Japan. Studies have suggested that the queens of this species may mate with more males and use sperm more evenly. The reason for this is not yet well understood.-Synonyms:V. flaviceps has been described...
  
  (Smith, 1870)
• Vespula flavopilosa Jakobson, 1978
• Vespula germanica (Fabricius, 1793)
• Vespula inexspectata Eck, 1991
• Vespula ingrica Birula, 1931
• Vespula kingdonwardi Archer, 1981
• Vespula koreensis (Rad., 1887)
• Vespula maculifrons (Buysson, 1905)
• Vespula nursei Archer, 1981
• Vespula orbata (Buysson 1902)
• Vespula pensylvanica
  Vespula pensylvanica
  Vespula pensylvanica is a species of wasp in the genus Vespula.-Description:V. pensylvanica is a predatory species that feeds on a wide range of invertebrate taxa and this has great potential for negative impact on the native fauna in insular habitats...
  
  (Saussure, 1857)
• Vespula rufa (Linnaeus, 1758)
• Vespula rufosignata Eck, 1998
• Vespula shidai Ish.,Yam.,Wagn., 1980
• Vespula squamosa (Drury, 1770)
• Vespula structor (Smith, 1870)
• Vespula sulphurea (Saussure, 1854)
• Vespula vidua (Saussure, 1854)
• Vespula vulgaris (Linnaeus, 1758)
• Vespula yichunensis Lee, 1986