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Identification Atlas of the Vespidae (Hymenoptera, Aculeata) of the northeastern Nearctic region
CJAI 05, February 19, 2008
doi: 10.3752/cjai.2008.05

Matthias Buck, Stephen A. Marshall, and David K.B. Cheung

Department of Environmental Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1

 

3. Overview of the fauna

The Vespidae fauna of northeastern North America (Tables 1 and 2) includes a total of 92 established species in three subfamilies: Eumeninae (65 spp.), Vespinae (16 spp.), and Polistinae (11 spp.). Among these, five species (5.4%), one of which was only discovered during the course of this project (Buck et al. 2006), were accidentally introduced from Europe (Eumeninae: 2 spp., Vespinae: 2 spp., Polistinae: 1 sp.). Six species are undescribed (Eumeninae: 4 spp., Polistinae: 2 sp.). Three western Nearctic species (Vespinae: 1 sp., Polistinae: 1 sp., Masarinae: 1 sp.) and one Caribbean species (Polistinae) have been collected only once in the area under study, and have apparently not become established. One western Nearctic eumenine species was apparently recorded erroneously from the east (Ontario), probably due to misinterpretation of label data. Fifteen established species (Eumeninae: 11 described spp. plus 3 undescribed spp., Polistinae: 1 sp.) and six adventitious species (Eumeninae: 1 sp., Polistinae: 4 spp., Masarinae: 1 sp.) are recorded for the first time from Canada.


Table 1. Canadian distribution and biology of solitary Vespidae of northeastern North America

Legend

Species
Nest
F
Distribution (Canada)
 
c
d
m
g
 
 
Eumeninae
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ancistrocerus adiabatus (de Saussure, 1852)
+
(+)
 
 
L
NS to BC
**Ancistrocerus albolacteus Bequaert, 1943
[+]
 
 
 
 
LB, NB, QC, AB, BC, NT
Ancistrocerus albophaleratus (de Saussure, 1855)
+
 
(r)
 
L
all excl. NU
Ancistrocerus antilope (Panzer, 1798)
+
(+)
 
 
L
NF to BC
Ancistrocerus campestris (de Saussure, 1852)
+
(+)
 
 
L
ON
Ancistrocerus catskill (de Saussure, 1853)
+
(+)
(r)
(p)
L
NS to BC
Ancistrocerus gazella (Panzer, 1798)
+
 
 
 
L
ON (introduced)
Ancistrocerus lutonidus Bohart, 1974
 
 
v
 
L
Ancistrocerus parietum (Linnaeus, 1758)
+
 
 
(p)
L(C)
NF, NS, QC to SK (introduced)
*Ancistrocerus spinolae (de Saussure, 1855)
+
(+)
 
 
L
ON
Ancistrocerus unifasciatus (de Saussure, 1852)
(+)
+
 
 
L
PE, QC, ON
Ancistrocerus waldenii (Viereck, 1906)
 
 
r
 
L
all excl. NU
*Ancistrocerus sp.n. A
+
 
 
 
L
all excl. LB, NU
*,**Ancistrocerus sp.n. B
[+]
 
 
 
 
ON to BC, NT, YT
Eumenes bollii Cresson, 1872
 
 
v
 
 
AB, BC
Eumenes crucifera Provancher, 1888
 
 
[+]
 
 
all excl. NU
Eumenes fraternus Say, 1824
 
 
v
 
L
ON
Eumenes verticalis Say, 1824
 
 
r
 
 
QC to BC, YT
Euodynerus annectens (de Saussure, 1870)
 
 
v
 
 
*Euodynerus annulatus (Say, 1824)
 
(+)
 
t
L
ON, SK to BC
Euodynerus auranus (Cameron, 1906)
 
 
 
+
 
ON to BC
Euodynerus bidens (de Saussure, 1870)
[+]
 
 
 
 
Euodynerus blakeanus (Cameron, 1909)
[+]
 
 
 
 
Euodynerus boscii (Lepeletier, 1841)
+
 
 
 
L
*Euodynerus castigatus (de Saussure, 1853)
 
 
 
 
 
ON, BC
Euodynerus crypticus (Say, 1823)
 
 
 
+
L
ON, AB
Euodynerus foraminatus (de Saussure, 1853)
+
 
 
 
L
NF to BC
*Euodynerus hidalgo (de Saussure, 1857)
+
(+)
 
(p)
L
ON, BC
Euodynerus leucomelas (de Saussure, 1855)
+
 
 
 
L
NF to BC, YT
*Euodynerus megaera (Lepeletier, 1841)
+
 
 
 
L
ON
Euodynerus planitarsis (Bohart, 1945)
+
 
 
 
L
NS to BC, NT
*Euodynerus schwarzi (Krombein, 1962)
+
 
 
 
L
ON
*Euodynerus sp.n. F
[+]
 
 
 
 
ON
Euodynerus sp.n. G
 
 
 
[+]
 
Leptochilus acolhuus (de Saussure, 1857)
[+]
 
 
 
mL
*Leptochilus republicanus (Dalla Torre, 1889)
+
 
 
 
mC
ON
Monobia quadridens (Linnaeus, 1763)
+
(+)
 
(p)
L
ON
Odynerus dilectus de Saussure, 1870
 
 
 
t
C(L)
NB, QC to BC, NT, YT
*Pachodynerus erynnis (Lepeletier, 1841)
+
 
 
 
L
ON (adventitious)
             
Species (contd.)
Nest
F
Distribution (Canada)
 
c
d
m
g
 
 
Parancistrocerus bicornis (Robertson, 1901)
+
 
 
 
 
Parancistrocerus fulvipes (de Saussure, 1855)
+
(+)
 
(+)
L
Parancistrocerus histrio (Lepeletier, 1841)
+
 
 
 
L
Parancistrocerus leionotus (Viereck, 1906)
r
 
 
 
L
ON, MB
Parancistrocerus pedestris (de Saussure, 1855)
+
 
 
 
L
QC, ON
Parancistrocerus pensylvanicus (de Saussure, 1855)
+
 
 
 
L
NF to BC
*Parancistrocerus perennis (de Saussure, 1857)
+
 
 
 
L
ON
Parancistrocerus salcularis (de Saussure, 1852)
+
 
 
 
L
Parancistrocerus vagus (de Saussure, 1857)
 
 
v, r
 
L
ON, SK to BC
*Parazumia symmorpha (de Saussure, 1855)
r
 
 
 
 
QC, ON
Pseudodynerus quadrisectus (Say, 1837)
+
 
 
 
L
*Stenodynerus ammonia (de Saussure, 1852)
 
 
 
 
 
ON, MB
Stenodynerus anormis (Say, 1824)
+
 
 
+
L
ON to BC
*Stenodynerus blepharus Bohart, 1953
 
 
 
 
 
ON
Stenodynerus fundatiformis (Robertson, 1901)
 
 
 
+
C,L
Stenodynerus histrionalis (Robertson, 1901)
+
 
 
 
L
Stenodynerus kennicottianus (de Saussure, 1870)
 
 
 
+
 
QC to BC, NT
Stenodynerus krombeini Bohart, 1953
+
 
 
 
L
Stenodynerus lineatifrons Bohart, 1948
+
 
 
 
L
Stenodynerus lucidus (Rohwer, 1917)
 
 
 
 
 
QC to BC
Stenodynerus oculeus (Robertson, 1901)
 
 
 
 
 
Stenodynerus pulvinatus Bohart, 1953
+
 
 
 
L
Symmorphus albomarginatus (de Saussure, 1855)
+
 
 
 
C
all excl. NU
Symmorphus canadensis (de Saussure, 1855)
+
 
 
 
mC,L
NS to BC, NT
Symmorphus cristatus (de Saussure, 1855)
+
 
 
 
C
all excl. NU
Zethus spinipes Say, 1837
 
 
 
 
L
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Masarinae
 
 
 
 
 
 
*,**Pseudomasaris edwardsii (Cresson, 1872)
 
 
r
 
P
ON (adventitious)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total species (nest site unknown for 5 spp.)
43
1
9
8
 
 

Note: Euodynerus pratensis (de Saussure, 1870) has been doubtfully recorded from Ontario.

Explanations. * – newly recorded from Canada, ** – not recorded from the northeastern U.S.
Nest type: c – nest in cavities above ground (e.g., borings in wood), d – old mud dauber nests, m – self-constructed mud nests, g – ground nests.
Nest location (of cavity nests and self-constructed mud nests): r – on rocks, walls and other inanimate structures, v – on vegetation (e.g. twigs).
Nest architecture (for ground nests): t – constructs mud turrets over entrance. Renting (for ground nests): p – uses only pre-existing ground burrows.
Other information: ( ) – secondary or exceptional nest site, [ ] – nesting habits inferred from relationship with other species. Total for species per nest type considers only primary nest site of each species.
F – food of larvae: L – Lepidoptera larvae, C – Coleoptera larvae, m – leaf miners, P – mixture of pollen and nectar.

 

Table 2. Canadian distribution of social and socially parasitic Vespidae of northeastern North America

Legend

Species
SP
Distribution (Canada)
 
 
 
Polistinae
 
 
Polistes annularis (Linnaeus, 1763)
 
Polistes aurifer de Saussure, 1853
 
AB, BC (PE: adventitious)
*Polistes bellicosus Cresson, 1872
 
(ON: adventitious)†
*Polistes carolina (Linnaeus, 1767)
 
(ON: adventitious)†
*Polistes dominicus (Vallot, 1802)
 
(ON: adventitious)
Polistes dominula (Christ, 1791)
 
NS, ON, BC (introduced)
Polistes dorsalis (Fabricius, 1775)
 
*Polistes exclamans Viereck, 1906
 
(ON: adventitious)†
Polistes fuscatus (Fabricius, 1793)
 
NB to MB, SK(?)
*Polistes metricus Say, 1831
 
ON
Polistes perplexus Cresson, 1870
 
Polistes sp.n. A
 
Polistes sp.n. B
 
 
 
 
Vespinae
 
 
Dolichovespula adulterina (du Buysson, 1905)
+
all excl. NU
Dolichovespula arenaria (Fabricius, 1775)
 
all excl. NU
Dolichovespula maculata (Linnaeus, 1763)
 
all excl. NU
Dolichovespula norvegicoides (Sladen, 1918)
 
all excl. NU
Dolichovespula norwegica (Fabricius, 1781)
 
all
Vespa crabro Linnaeus, 1758
 
ON (introduced)
Vespula acadica (Sladen, 1918)
 
all excl. NU
Vespula austriaca (Panzer, 1799)
+
all
Vespula consobrina (de Saussure, 1864)
 
all excl. NU
Vespula flavopilosa Jacobson, 1978
 
NS, QC to MB
Vespula germanica (Fabricius, 1793)
 
QC to MB (introduced)
Vespula maculifrons (du Buysson, 1905)
 
NS, NB, QC to MB
Vespula pensylvanica (de Saussure, 1857)
 
MB to BC (ON: adventitious)
Vespula rufa (Linnaeus, 1758)
 
all excl. NU
Vespula squamosa (Drury, 1773)
(+)
(ON: adventitious)†
Vespula vidua (de Saussure, 1854)
 
NS, NB, QC, ON, MB
Vespula vulgaris (Linnaeus, 1758)
 
all excl. NU

Explanations. * – newly recorded from Canada.
SP – Social parasite: + obligatory social parasite (no worker caste), (+) facultative social parasite (with worker caste).
Distribution: all – recorded from all provinces and territories; †: native in eastern U.S.

Continue with: Morphology

 

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