3 Records

Status

Dolichovespula arctica is socially parasitic on Dolichovespula arenaria or D. norvegicoides. There is no worker caste in this species. Females invade a young colony of the host, kill the queen, and assume egg-laying duties. The remaining host workers then rear the arctica young, soon producing males and females of the next generation.

Description

Dolichovespula arctica (particularly males) resemble the blackjacket (Vespula consobrina), which shares its black and ivory color scheme. D. arctica can be distinguished by a long oculomalar space (distance between insertion of mandible and lower edge of eye), by having the dorsal pale fasciae of the abdominal tergites broken medially by black (see photo to left), and by showing a pronotal carina (a raised ridge along lateral front edge of pronotum). It can also be distinguished from the abundant bald-faced hornet (D. maculata) by showing a pale tibia III (black on maculata). It generally has more extensive pale abdominal markings than maculata as well. Females of arctica have more extensive white markings with free black spots on the abdomen, and are distinctive. (Buck et al. 2008)