Vespula flaviceps

Vespula flaviceps (Smith, 1870)

(Fig. 1: a–e)

Vespa flaviceps Smith, 1870, in Horne and Smith, Trans. Zool. Soc. Lond. 7 (3): 174, 191, pl. XXI figs. 10-11, female - “Binsur, Kumaon, North-west Provinces of India ” (London).

This species is widely distributed from Pakistan in the west, through Indochina, to Amami Island of Ryukyus, Amur, Primor’ye and Sakhalin Island of Russia in the East (Daglio, 2019). In Vietnam, this species is newly recorded from high mountainous areas in Cao Bang and Lao Cai provinces in the northern part of the country.

Material examined: Cao Bang: 1 worker, Phia Oac foot-hill, Thanh Cong, Nguyen Binh, 1200 m a.s.l., LTP Nguyen, 10.VIII.2012, ISD-c; Lao Cai: 1 worker, 1 male, Xeomity, Sa Pa, 1700 m a.s.l., 09.VII.2009, PH Pham; 3 queens, 4 workers, Y Ty, Bat Xat NR, 22°39’19’’N, 103°37’27’’E, 1931 m a.s.l., 01.VIII.2019, LTP Nguyen, CQ Nguyen, NT Tran & UTP Tran.

Queen description: Body length: 12.6–12.8 mm; Forewing length: 12.0– 12.2 mm. Occipital carina do not extend to the base of mandible. First metasomal tergum not raised basally and without a depression. Propodeum almost smooth with some small and sparse punctures. Gena, mesoscutellum and metanotum with dense and strong punctures. Body black, with following part yellow: clypeus except margin at base black, mandible except margin at base and teeth black, ocular sinus, frons (Fig. 1a), gena, narrow band on dorsal margin of pronotum; spot on upper part of mesepisternum; spot on tegula; narrow band at base of mesoscutellum (absent in the middle), at apical margin of metanotum (absent in the middle), and at apical margin of metasomal tergum 1–2, two spots on propodeum; thick band at apical margin of tergum 3–5, and tergum 6 largely (Fig. 1b), lower part and upper part posteriorly of all femora, all tibiae and tarsi.

Biological notes. The queens were observed flying close to the ground surface in late July, 2019, probably looking for a nesting site. According to local people, the colonies reach their full size (about 40 cm diameter of four to five layers) in February of the next year.