Taxonomic study of social vespid wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Vespinae and Polistinae) in Bhutan

Abstract

The social vespid wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Vespinae and Polistinae) was studied in Bhutan during 2014-2016. A total of fifteen species were collected and identified that all of them are reported as new records from Bhutan: Vespa vivax Smith, V. velutina variana van der Vecht, V. fumida van der Vecht, Dolichovespula lama (du Buysson), Vespula flaviceps Smith, V. nursei Archer, V. vulgaris (Linnaeus), V. structor (Smith), Polistes (Polistella) nigritarsus (Cameron), Parapolybia varia (Fabricius), P. nodosa van der Vecht, Ropalidia artifex (de Saussure), R. stigma (Smith), R. ornaticeps (Cameron) and R. rufoplagiata gravelyi (Dover & Rao). Diagnostic characters and geographical distribution of all species are presented.