Overview
Insect. Common wasps nest underground and in cavities in trees and buildings. In addition to causing painful stings to humans, they compete with birds and other insects for insect prey and sugar sources. They will also eat fruit crops and scavenge around rubbish bins and picnic sites.
Common Names
Common Names in English:
Common Wasp, Ground Beetle
Description
Physical Description
Species Acupalpus pauperculus
Distinguishing marks on workers include a black mark behind the eye on the side of the head ; an anchor-shaped or dagger-shaped mark on the "face"; yellow pronotal bands which are almost parallel; and black dots and rings on the abdomen which are usually fused. Males can only be reliably distinguished by examining the aedeagus (part of the genitals) under a microscope.
Habitat
Biome: natural forest , planted forests, scrub/shrublands, urban areas
Ecology: Impact in a range of sectors including conservation , forestry, beekeeping, horticulture , and human-health.
Biology
Reproduction
Sexual. Males and queens produced
in late autumn. Fertilised queens overwinter
, and then start a new colony
in early spring
. She produces
sterile
females, called workers, throughout the season
.c. 1000-2000 queens produced per colony in autumn. Average colony density in New Zealand beech forest
c.
12 per ha.
Annual
colonies initiated in spring by one queen. Colony expands through season and then produces sexual stages in autumn, before colony breaks down
. In each cell
of a new nest
, the queen lays
a single egg
, which hatches into a larvae in 5 to 8 days. After five moults over about 90 days (the length
of time spent in each stage is determined by environmental conditions
), each larva spins a silken cap over the cell and pupates. After about 80 days an adult
worker wasp emerges
.
Taxonomy
- Domain:
Eukaryota
(
)
- Whittaker & Margulis,1978
- eukaryotes
- Kingdom:
Animalia
()
- Linnaeus, 1758
- animals
- Subkingdom:
Bilateria
()
- (Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983
- Branch:
Protostomia
()
- Grobben, 1908
- Infrakingdom:
Ecdysozoa
()
- Aguinaldo Et Al., 1997 Ex Cavalier-Smith, 1998
- Superphylum:
Panarthropoda
()
- Cuvier
- Phylum:
Arthropoda
()
- Latreille, 1829
- Arthropods
- Subphylum:
Mandibulata
()
- Snodgrass, 1938
- Infraphylum:
Atelocerata
()
- Heymons, 1901
- Superclass:
Panhexapoda
()
- Epiclass:
Hexapoda
()
- Class:
Insecta
()
- C. Linnaeus, 1758
- Insects
- Subclass:
Dicondylia
()
- Infraclass:
Pterygota
()
- Order:
Coleoptera
()
- C. Linnaeus, 1758
- Order:
Coleoptera
(
- Infraclass:
Pterygota
(
- Subclass:
Dicondylia
(
- Class:
Insecta
(
- Epiclass:
Hexapoda
(
- Superclass:
Panhexapoda
(
- Infraphylum:
Atelocerata
(
- Subphylum:
Mandibulata
(
- Phylum:
Arthropoda
(
- Superphylum:
Panarthropoda
(
- Infrakingdom:
Ecdysozoa
(
- Branch:
Protostomia
(
- Subkingdom:
Bilateria
(
- Kingdom:
Animalia
(
Notes
Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 24-Jun-1996
Similar Species
Members of the genus Acupalpus
ZipcodeZoo has pages for 54 species and subspecies in this genus:
A. alternans · A. brunnicolor · A. brunnipes · A. canadensis (Ground Beetle) · A. cantabricus · A. carus (Ground Beetle) · A. consputus · A. dorsalis · A. dubius · A. elegans · A. exiguus · A. flaviceps · A. flavicollis · A. flavilimbus · A. gracilis · A. gyllenhali · A. humilis · A. hydropicus · A. ibericus · A. indistinctus (Ground Beetle) · A. inornatus · A. inpnatus · A. interstitialis · A. lamprotus · A. laticollis · A. longicornis · A. longulus · A. lucasi · A. lucens · A. luteatus · A. maculatus · A. meridianus · A. nanellus (Ground Beetle) · A. notatus · A. oliveirae · A. pallidus · A. paludicola · A. partiarius (Ground Beetle) · A. parvulus · A. pauperculus (Ground Beetle) · A. planicollis · A. pumilus (Ground Beetle) · A. puncticollis · A. punctulatus · A. rectangulus · A. scapularis · A. splendidulus · A. suturalis · A. suturalis suturalis · A. tachioides · A. tener · A. testaceous · A. testaceus (Ground Beetle) · A. turcicus
More Info
- Search for Pictures: images.google.com
- Search for Scholarly Articles: Google Scholar
- Search using Scientific Name and Vernacular Names: All the Web | AltaVista Canada | AltaVista | Excite | Google | HotBot | Lycos
- Search using Specialized Databases: GenBank | Medline | Scirus | CISTI/CAL | Agricola Periodicals | Agricola Books
Further Reading
Notes
Contributors
- Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
- Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-2005. Systema Naturae 2000. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. [http://sn2000.taxonomy.nl/Taxonomicon/]. Access date: Nov 23, 2005
Identifiers
- Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2607472
- Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: ITS-111114
- Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 111114
- Natural Heritage Network Species Identifier: IICO194373
- Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 17545
