''Vespa analis'', the yellow-vented hornet, is a species of common

hornet Hornets (insects in the genus ''Vespa'') are the largest of the Eusociality, eusocial wasps, and are similar in appearance to yellowjackets, their close relatives. Some species can reach up to in length. They are distinguished from other Vespi ...

found in

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...

Taxonomy

This species has no recognised subspecies, and at least two described species are considered synonymous with it.

Description

This species varies in colours and patterns. In Southeast Asia, they are usually black with a yellow marking on the tip of the abdomen (the sixth segment). In Singapore, they are coloured slightly lighter, with red or brown heads and pronotums."Vespa analis" at http://www.vespa-bicolor.net/main/vespid/vespa-analis.htm accessed on 11 October 2020. Specimens from sub-tropical, mountainous or temperate areas have yellow heads. In areas where they occur with the

Asian giant hornet The Asian giant hornet (''Vespa mandarinia''), also known as the northern giant hornet, and the Japanese giant hornet, is the world's largest hornet. It is native to temperate and tropical East Asia, South Asia, mainland Southeast Asia, and par ...

, they tend to resemble it in colour and pattern.

Distribution

This species is one of the most widely distributed hornets. It can be found in temperate areas such as Japan, Russia and Korea, and is also found over much of China and Taiwan, down to tropical regions like Singapore and Indonesia.

Behaviours

Vespa analis is a typical tree-dwelling hornet. Its nests are generally built from six to ten feet above ground, lower than those of ''

Vespa affinis ''Vespa affinis'', the lesser banded hornet, is a common hornet in tropical and subtropical Asia. Description The lesser banded hornet is a small to medium-sized hornet, with queens reaching up to 30mm, males 26mm and workers averaging 22 to 25 ...

'' and '' Vespa velutina''. The nest envelope is usually quite dark and sturdy, and has a coarsely

imbricate Aestivation or estivation is the positional arrangement of the parts of a flower within a flower bud before it has opened. Aestivation is also sometimes referred to as praefoliation or prefoliation, but these terms may also mean vernation: the ar ...

pattern, with large, obvious overlapping circular sections. In temperate areas, the nest gets only very slightly oval, and the colony size is generally not very large. However, nests in the tropics reach substantial sizes. There is also the same variation seen in nests of ''

''; nests in tropical regions are tapered from the top and get wider further down. Their diet is relatively similar to other hornet species of Southeast Asia, catching butterflies, honeybees and dragonflies. However, unlike some hornet species in Southeast Asia, they do not scavenge on dead animals or food left behind by people. Vespa analis nest

This species is generally considered to be one of the least defensive species. However, in Japan, it is responsible for quite a number of attacks, due to its abundance and its fondness for building near human habitation.

Life cycle

This species appears to have a fairly long colony cycle, as workers have been spotted trying to hunt in early January, indicating that some nests still have brood or new queens then.

References

Sources

"Vespa analis" at http://www.vespa-bicolor.net/main/vespid/vespa-analis.htm accessed on 11 October 2020 {{Taxonbar, from=Q3556335 Insects described in 1798 Vespidae Hymenoptera of Asia Taxa named by Johan Christian Fabricius