A taxonomic review of the genus Vespula Thomson (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Vespinae) from the Indian subcontinent

The genus Vespula Thomson, 1869, is reviewed from the Indian subcontinent. New synonymy is Vespa orbata var. aurulenta du Buysson, 1905, = Vespula structor (Smith, 1870). The following species are newly recorded from various states of India as follows: V. nursei Archer, 1981, from Delhi, Sikkim and Uttarakhand; V. orbata (du Buysson, 1902) from Nagaland; V. flaviceps (Smith, 1870) from West Bengal; V. germanica (Fabricius, 1793) from Himachal Pradesh; V. structor (Smith, 1870) from Arunachal Pradesh; V. vulgaris (Linnaeus, 1758) from Himachal Pradesh. Parasitic association of Strepsiptera is observed in one worker specimen of V. flaviceps. A modified key to species of the Indian subcontinent is provided.