Vespula rufa (Linnaeus, 1758)
(Red Wasp)

Taxonomic hierarchy:
SpeciesVespula rufa (Red Wasp)
GenusVespula (a genus of social wasps)
SubfamilyVESPINAE (wasps)
FamilyVESPIDAE (potter, mason and social wasps)
SuperfamilyVESPOIDEA (wasps)
InfraorderAculeata (aculeates: bees, wasps and ants)
SuborderAPOCRITA (bees, wasps, ants and parasitoids)
OrderHYMENOPTERA (ants, bees and wasps, sawflies and parasitoid wasps)
Division Endopterygota (bees, beetles, flies, moths and other insects with wings developing internally)
InfraclassNeoptera (bees, beetles, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other advanced insects)
SubclassPTERYGOTA (bees, beetles, dragonflies, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other winged insects)
ClassINSECTA (true insects)
SubphylumHEXAPODA (insects and other 6-legged organisms)
PhylumARTHROPODA (arthropods)
SuperphylumECDYSOZOA (skin shedders)
CladeBilateria (bilaterally symmetrical animals)
SubkingdomEUMETAZOA (metazoans)
KingdomANIMALIA (animals)
DomainEukaryota (eukaryotes)
LifeBIOTA (living things)
Records of Vespula rufa (Red Wasp) :
1: Vespula rufa (Red Wasp)
24 Jul 1976 OSGR: SU93 51° 10’ N, 0° 40’ W Vice County: Surrey (VC 17) England
Male, on Hogweed
Image 1: Male - dorsal view - enlargedImage 2: Male - front three-quarter view - enlargedImage 3: Male - front three-quarter view - enlarged (2)Image 4: Male - posterodorsal view - enlarged
2: Vespula rufa (Red Wasp)
1 May 1976 OSGR: SU93 51° 10’ N, 0° 40’ W Vice County: Surrey (VC 17) England
Queen, found indoors
Image 1: Queen - anterodorsal view - enlargedImage 2: Queen - anterodorsal view - enlarged (2)Image 3: Queen - dorsal view - close-up - enlargedImage 4: Queen - dorsal view - close-up - enlarged (2)Image 5: Queen - face - close-up - enlargedImage 6: Queen - front three-quarter view - close-up - enlargedImage 7: Queen - lateral view - enlargedImage 8: Queen - laterodorsal view - close-up - enlarged

Vespula rufa (Red Wasp) may be included in identification literature listed under the following higher taxa:

NBNNBN (data.nbn.org.uk) has a distribution map for Vespula rufa (Red Wasp)
BioInfoBioInfo (www.bioinfo.org.uk) has 3 host/parasite/foodplant and/or other relationships for Vespula rufa (Red Wasp)
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