Talk:Vespula vulgaris

Comments

Your article is really interesting and thorough! You have a lot of great information. However, the article contained a lot of grammar mistakes. I fixed a lot of subject-verb agreement mistakes and also added words where words were left out in sentences. I could not fix all of the sentences because the meanings were not clear and I did not want to change the intended meanings. I recommend that you go back through the article and make sure that all of your sentences are clear. I also removed a lot of short phrases such as "it was discovered that" and other such phrases since they seemed unnecessary. Lastly, I linked your article to the page about the hoverfly Volucella pellucens in your predators section. Overall, great job!!! Three is me (talk) 02:49, 24 October 2014 (UTC)

Peer Review

Nice article! I made some changes to the structures of your sentences in the beginning sections as many contained run-ons. Also I added spaces between some words (especially after a word had been italicized). I would suggest that for the colony cycle you change the lists of the different stages into a paragraph form. This makes it easier to read than having to go through an entire list and it is easy to convert what you have into a well-written succinct paragraph. Also you could break up the nest foundation section up into two sections as this is a really long section. Otherwise, you did a really nice job I just made a few changes to the grammar and spelling of words in the other sections. Amy Krause ( Amy Krause) — Preceding undated comment added 16:44, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

Additional Categories

In this article, I found it especially interesting how the wasps ensure that only

the queen's larvae mature to adulthood by removing the larvae produced by workers. One category that should be included in the article is parental investment for the wasps. This category would include how much energy the queen wasp initially puts into feeding the larvae and how many larvae she will tend to at a specific time. The category would focus only on the amount of investment the queen wasp makes on the larvae, as an additional section would be the sexual conflict over who should rear the larvae once enough workers are introduced.

( Amy Krause (talk) 15:56, 11 September 2014 (UTC))

Topics to think about

I particularly found it interesting that this article explains how the members of the nest interact with each other, providing relevant information on the interaction and cooperation of sterile workers and the queen. But, I also think this article could also benefit from additional categories. For example, a section on sexes and casts could be useful to explain the sex ratio of offspring and explain the evolution of sterile workers. Another interesting section could relate to the evolutionary history of the species, this could include hypothesizes on why the hive has sterile workers and why colonies only last one year. Finally, another relevant section could detail defensive strategies of the organism, explaining how this wasp defends its nest from predators using a communal defense system. Adding these topics could really benefit the completeness of this article.

(Amanda.Kalupa (talk) 20:13, 11 September 2014 (UTC))

Aggression

There is a common belief that wasps sting humans for no reason and are naturally aggressive. Can anyone prove or deny this? TomGreen 08:10, 16 April 2007 (UTC)

I believe this is a myth, caused by people not realizing that their actions cause them to be perceived as threats; wasps don't go around hunting for people or anything. On another topic, though, more details on their stinging defence and the relation to humans would be nice. Mad2Physicist (talk) 05:59, 19 September 2008 (UTC)

One thing I could never remeber - is it acid or alkline that you need to treat a sting? I know bee sting are one and wasps the other, I suppose it would be usefull to have this info in the article(s). Elcaballooscuro (talk) 10:38, 16 May 2009 (UTC)

Neither. You're not going to accurately neutralise the pH of the sting, and even if you did that wouldn't be enough to treat it. Zetetic Apparatchik (talk) 01:11, 14 August 2009 (UTC)

Every summer in Belgium, nests of wasps are everywhere. I have been stung several times by them as a child. For some reason these animals fly around human beings and land on them. Why they would then see the human as a threat, I don't know, but they sting. When having dinner outside in the summer, often a wasp will appear and circle around the people eating, one by one. They appear to be more interested in circling around people, than in the food on the table. 81.83.41.159 (talk) 10:06, 2 August 2009 (UTC)

Will they sting you if they just land on you but you don't move a muscle? Could we have a section on aggression? Tom Green (talk) 12:59, 9 August 2009 (UTC)

Do you wear deodorant or aftershave? Do you wear bright coloured clothing? Do you move agressively? If you answer any of these questions with "yes", then I am not surprised to see their interest in you. - WoutR, 16 August 2009

Well he did mention having dinner outside. Wasps are basically omnivores in that they will eat fruit as well as meat. They aggressively guard their nests and food sources. So while they will not hunt humans (why would they?) they will certainly guard food they find and their nests. Of course if they can they will try to run you off first. If you run even a relatively short distance away they will leave you alone. They basically have a radius they guard of some few yards/meters, although I have not found documentation of what this territorial radius is for a given species. And of course they defend themselves if they feel threatened, like most animals. Rifter0x0000 (talk) 08:36, 4 July 2011 (UTC)

I can neither prove nor deny it, but I was aggressively stung by wasps as a child. I ended up with ~15 stings all around my right wrist. All I did was (unknowingly) brush against a bush they were resting on. It was in the autumn/fall at the time. I had two theories back then, the first was that they'd been feeding on rotten fruit, and were intoxicated; my other thought was that they were dying off as winter approached, and they were a little ill tempered as a result. Quickos (talk) 03:07, 23 September 2009 (UTC)

These wasps are common where I live, and I have been stung several times during childhood, usually by stepping barefoot on them. However, though I encounter these many times each summer, I have never been stung without reason. In fact, they can be safely moved by hand if you use slow, gentle movements, herding the wasp into your closed hand, and this is in fact my standard way of removing wasps from inside the house. However, the standard reaction people seem thave to an inquisitive wasp is to wave their arms wildly and jerk away, or try to swat it. That sort of behavior is like asking to be stung! It seems to be almost instinctive in some people, as they keep doing it even when they know it's a bad idea. Basically, they sting if there is sudden, violent motion close by, or if unexpectedly squeezed, and the best reaction is to simply remain calm. After handling wasps by hand several times a year for more than ten years without being stung for it, I can confirm that unprovoked stinging from the common wasp is either rare or simply a result of people not knowing what constitutes provoking behavior. Amaurea (talk) 23:48, 5 August 2012 (UTC)

'Jasper'

I noticed that it comments that "Common wasps are colloquially known as "jaspers" in south eastern England and more commonly the English Midlands," yet I've lived in the midlands all my life and never heard anyone use the term Jasper. Could a citation be given?--80.4.79.203 (talk)

I second this. I have lived in the midlands have never even heard the term. 'wabbies' sometimes....Here is a discussion about the term http://www.qi.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=5796&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0 But I don't think people can decide maybe it is an age thing or very localised in teh same areas. Rovastar (talk) 00:50, 18 January 2011 (UTC)

This is a common phrase in northern Lincolnshire, I don't know about anywhere else. Tom Green (talk) 15:22, 8 August 2011 (UTC)

Me too. I live around the midlands and I have never even heard wasps called this. Alicianpig (talk) 06:03, 15 August 2011 (UTC)

I can't speak for the Midlands, but I grew up in the south of England (Dorset, to be precise), and often heard children at my school call them jaspers. I haven't heard it used much since then, so I don't know if it has gone out of fasion, or was a very local term, or if it is primarily a school-child's name. I did see a yellow-and-black striped boat in Poole Harbour a few times called Jasper though. Wardog (talk) 21:47, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

Underground Nests Only?

I've seen plenty of open, hexagonal-celled paper nests hanging from walls and roofs, but I've seen wasps going in and out of little holes in the ground, so I have to ask, the article says their nests are exclusively underground, but I believe that to be mistaken. 75.157.120.15 (talk) 03:54, 2 July 2010 (UTC)

Alex's Comments

I thought you did a really great job discussing the life cycle and gender ratios of this wasp. You do a great job of explaining the interactions of nest members, particularly between sterile workers and the queen. I also like your sections about distribution and habitat – they are clear and concise, and the picture really completes the topic. One thing that would be interesting to add to your discussion, however, would be why this wasp has a one-year colony cycle and so many sterile workers. Additionally, I think talking more about how your wasp is a pest would make your article better. How does it interact with the native species that displaces other than by competing for resources? How is this wasp introduced as a pest species? Overall, great job! 128.252.25.2 (talk) 04:26, 21 November 2014 (UTC)

Is it actually present in North America?

The article states that what North Americans have been calling the common yellowjacket is actually a separate species now know as Vespula alascensis. Because of this discovery it is unclear if all references to Vespula vulgaris in North America are actually examples of Vespula alascensis or if both species are present on the continent. I have noticed that Bugguide.net no longer list Vespula vulgaris in it's guide, suggesting its the former. Weebro55 (talk) 20:41, 2 March 2015 (UTC)

Repetition

It is mentioned in the lead that Vespula alascensis was until recently confused with Vespula vulgaris. This fact is repeated several more times within the text without expanding on the issue. Surely once is quite enough. Can we trim out the repetition. Rincewind42 (talk) 15:22, 29 April 2016 (UTC)

Life Cycle in Other Regions

The description of life cycle (shown below) mentions specific calendar months - but i suspect the months will vary depending on northern / southern hemisphere, distance from the equator, local climate influences, etc. Can we adjust the wording? Snu7 (talk) 13:37, 13 September 2018 (UTC)

″Five distinguishable stages occur in V. vulgaris colony cycle. Each lasts for similar periods, around 30–35 days. The colony starts in April as the queen begins the foundation of the nest and degenerates around October when the temperature drops and the queen dies"

• There isn't enough detailed literature to address this; the simple solution is to be explicit that the life cycle given is strictly temperate Northern Hemisphere. Dyanega (talk) 15:43, 13 September 2018 (UTC)