''Vespula austriaca'' is an obligate parasitic wasp, parasitizing the nests of other species in the genus '' Vespula'' in the

Old World The "Old World" () is a term for Afro-Eurasia coined by Europeans after 1493, when they became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia in the Eastern Hemisphere, previously ...

. Its common host species include '' V. rufa'' in Europe, Japan, and East Siberia.''V. austriaca ''wasps pollinate orchids. In some literature, ''V. austriaca'' is mentioned under the common name "Cuckoo wasp", but this should not be confused with the family Chrysididae, which have the same common name.

Taxonomy and phylogeny

''Vespula austriaca'' is a member of the family

Vespidae The Vespidae are a large (nearly 5000 species), diverse, cosmopolitan family of wasps, including nearly all the known eusocial wasps (such as '' Polistes fuscatus'', '' Vespa orientalis'', and ''Vespula germanica'') and many solitary wasps. Eac ...

. The genera '' Vespula'' and '' Dolichovespula'' are thought to be closely related and are considered

sister group In phylogenetics, a sister group or sister taxon, also called an adelphotaxon, comprises the closest relative(s) of another given unit in an evolutionary tree. Definition The expression is most easily illustrated by a cladogram: Taxon A and ...

s. Their similarities include absences of strong

seta In biology, setae (; seta ; ) are any of a number of different bristle- or hair-like structures on living organisms. Animal setae Protostomes Depending partly on their form and function, protostome setae may be called macrotrichia, chaetae, ...

on third segment of labial palpus, smaller scutal lamella, and a characteristic twisted pedicel in embryonic nests. The Nearctic population formerly considered as belonging to ''V. austriaca'' has been recognized as a separate species, '' Vespula infernalis''.

Description and identification

''Vespula austriaca'' is an obligate social parasite, and is quite similar in appearance to other ''Vespula'' species. The male

abdomen The abdomen (colloquially called the gut, belly, tummy, midriff, tucky, or stomach) is the front part of the torso between the thorax (chest) and pelvis in humans and in other vertebrates. The area occupied by the abdomen is called the abdominal ...

is longer with thick

lateral Lateral is a geometric term of location which may also refer to: Biology and healthcare * Lateral (anatomy), a term of location meaning "towards the side" * Lateral cricoarytenoid muscle, an intrinsic muscle of the larynx * Lateral release ( ...

black bands while the female abdomen is wider with fewer lateral black bands and black dots.

Distribution and habitat

''Vespula austriaca'' is found in the

Palearctic The Palearctic or Palaearctic is a biogeographic realm of the Earth, the largest of eight. Confined almost entirely to the Eastern Hemisphere, it stretches across Europe and Asia, north of the foothills of the Himalayas, and North Africa. Th ...

region, from Europe to

Kamchatka The Kamchatka Peninsula (, ) is a peninsula in the Russian Far East, with an area of about . The Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Okhotsk make up the peninsula's eastern and western coastlines, respectively. Immediately offshore along the Pacific ...

, Japan, northwest

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

, northern

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

, and northern

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. In Europe, ''V. austriaca ''is most common in

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

and

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

. As an

obligate parasite An obligate parasite or holoparasite is a parasitic organism that cannot complete its life-cycle without exploiting a suitable host. If an obligate parasite cannot obtain a host it will fail to reproduce. This is opposed to a facultative parasite, ...

, these wasps do not build their nests. As a result, the queens

hibernate Hibernation is a state of minimal activity and metabolic reduction entered by some animal species. Hibernation is a seasonal heterothermy characterized by low body-temperature, slow breathing and heart-rate, and low metabolic rate. It is most ...

longer than their host queens. This ensures that the nests will be ready when they leave their hibernation spots.

Colony cycle

''Vespula austriaca'' is known as a labour parasite. Its lifestyle depends on invading and usurping other colonies. First, females kill the queens of the host colony and force the host workers to care of their offspring.Yamane, S., Kubo T., (1970). A brief note on a labor-parasitic wasp, ''Vespula austriaca'', in association with ''Vespula rufa'' ''schrencki''. ''Kontyu'' 38(2):171–175. Also, ''V. austriaca'' wasps lack a worker caste and the ability to build their own nests. These wasps have very short seasons, with flight periods from June to mid-July and August to mid-September.

Parasitic behaviour

''Vespula austriaca'' takes advantage of hosts such as '' Vespula rufa'' from East Siberia, Europe, and Honshû Japan.

Diet

''Vespula austriaca'' larvae obtain nutrients from

insects Insects (from Latin ') are hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs of jointed ...

and

spiders Spiders (order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight limbs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species di ...

brought to them by the host workers.

Human importance

''Vespula austriaca'' is not itself considered a pest, but one of its hosts, '' Vespula rufa'', is a pest because it frequently enters buildings. Considered a nuisance, one ''Vespula austriaca'' wasp was found in a shipping container.

Reproduction

''Vespula austriaca'' does not produce any workers. Instead the queens lay eggs that eventually produce more queens and male adults.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q303605 Hymenoptera of Asia Hymenoptera of Europe Vespidae Brood parasites Insects described in 1799