HYMENOPTERA > APOCRITA | Aculeata > Vespidae > Vespinae

Vespula germanica and Vespula vulgaris are our most common and widespread social wasps. Unlike the previously described ‘long-faced’ Dolichovespula species, Vespula have a much smaller gap between the eye and the mandible. There are four Vespula species on the British List, the other two being Vespula rufa (Red Wasp) and the rarer and primarily northern species Vespula austriaca (Austrian Cuckoo Wasp), which I’m unlikely to encounter locally. The four species are often separated into those with pale hairs on abdomen S1 (Vespula germanica and Vespula vulgaris) and those with dark hairs (Vespula rufa and Vespula austriaca). As with Dolichovespula, it’s the facial details and thoracic features that determine the likely identity.

The important distinguishing characteristics for Vespula germanica are a yellow clypeus with three round black marks in the centre with the lower two usually smaller, or a more extended bar and two small spots below; a black notch at the top of the clypeus, which on some workers can be extended or joined to the upper mark; a largely yellow ocular sinus (the area above and behind the eyes); pronotum with yellow border of irregular width, extending towards the wings and meeting a yellow blotch at the base; metanotum with two elongated yellow spots with clear separation; side of thorax (episternum) black with yellow, sharply angled triangular spot; propodeum black with large yellow separated blotches. The abdomen has variable black central marks that are better compared with photos of known species rather than described.

Vespula germanica can be found in various habitats and, because of the scavenging habits of the species, can frequently be attracted to homes, gardens and picnic sites. Nesting is mostly underground with over-wintering females starting to look for a suitable site in mid-March. Workers start appearing from early May and will be around until mid-November. New queens usually leave the nest in September and October. Males are generally on the wing from mid-August and start dying out at the same time as the workers. They can often be seen on ivy flowers and any remaining umbellifers in October and early November, sometimes later particularly in the south. A few colonies may over-winter, persisting to the following spring if conditions are suitable.