HYMENOPTERA :: Vespidae :: Vespinae :: Vespa

Vespa mandarinia Smith, 1852

Biology

Prey on arthropods including other Hymenoptera (Starr 1992). Known to raid honey bee hives resulting in the total destruction of the bee colony. Nests subterranean or in pre-existing cavities (Starr 1992). Colonies up to large size. 

Map

Not provided

Sources

Barthélémy, C. A. Provisional Identification Guide to the Social Vespids of Hong Kong (Hymenoptera: Vespidae). Available online: http://insectahk.com

Barthélémy C & Guénard B. 2025. An annotated and illustrated checklist of Hong Kong aculeate wasps (Hymenoptera: Apoid wasps; Pompilioidea; Scolioidea; Thynnoidea; Tiphioidea; Vespoidea; Chrysidoidea). Insecta Mundi 1115: 1–230.

Kumar G.P. & Srinivasan G. 2010. Taxonomic studies of hornet wasps (Hymenoptera : Vespidae) Vespa Linnaeus of India. Records of the Zoological Survey of India 110. 57–80. https://doi.org/10.26515/rzsi/v110/i2/2010/158949 

Smith-Pardo A.H.,  Carpenter, J. M. & Kimsey L. 2020. The diversity of hornets in the genus Vespa (Hymenoptera: Vespidae; Vespinae), their importance and interceptions in the United States. Insect Systematics and Diversity. 4(3): 2; 1–27. https://doi.org/10.1093/isd/ixaa006 

Starr C.K. 1992. The Social Wasps of Taiwan. Bulletin of the National Museum of Natural History 3: 93–138.