Vespula vulgaris (Linnaeus, 1758)
(Common Wasp)

Taxonomic hierarchy:
SpeciesVespula vulgaris (Common 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 vulgaris (Common Wasp) :
1: Vespula vulgaris (Common Wasp)
14 Nov 2011 OSGR: SU56 51° 20’ N, 1° 10’ W Vice County: Berks (VC 22) England
Dead queen wasp, indoors, in bedroom
Image 1: Queen - abdomen - dorsal view - highly enlargedImage 2: Queen - dorsal view - enlarged - white backgroundImage 3: Queen - face - close-up - highly enlargedImage 4: Queen - head and thorax - dorsal view - highly enlargedImage 5: Queen - head and thorax - lateral view - highly enlargedImage 6: Queen - jaws - close-up - magnifiedImage 7: Queen - lateral view - enlarged - white backgroundImage 8: Queen - legs (right 1,2,3) - anterior view - highly enlargedImage 9: Queen - legs (right 1,2,3) - anterior view - highly enlarged (2)Image 10: Queen - legs (right 1,2,3) - posterior view - highly enlargedImage 11: Queen - sting (extracted) - close-up - magnifiedImage 12: Queen - thorax - posterior view (Image 13: Queen - ventral view - enlarged - white backgroundImage 14: Wings (left) - highly enlarged
2: Vespula vulgaris (Common Wasp)
27 Mar 1976 OSGR: SU93 51° 0’ N, 0° 40’ W Vice County: Surrey (VC 17) England
Queen, disturbed in hibernation
Image 1: Queen - anterior view - close-up - enlargedImage 2: Queen - anterior view - enlargedImage 3: Queen - anterior view - enlarged (2)Image 4: Queen - asleep - anterior view - enlargedImage 5: Queen - asleep - dorsolateral view - enlargedImage 6: Queen - asleep - dorsolateral view - enlarged (2)Image 7: Queen - asleep - lateral view - enlargedImage 8: Queen - face - close-up - enlargedImage 9: Queen - face - close-up - highly enlargedImage 10: Queen - foreparts - dorsolateral view - enlargedImage 11: Queen - waking up - lateral view - enlarged
3: Vespula vulgaris (Common Wasp)
20 Sep 1974 OSGR: SE66 54° 0’ N, 1° 0’ W Vice County: North-east Yorks (VC 62) England
Worker, on Blackberry
Image 1: Rear three-quarter viewImage 2: Worker - anterior view - enlargedImage 3: Worker - lateral view - close-up - enlarged
4: Vespula vulgaris (Common Wasp)
Oct 1975 OSGR: SU77 51° 30’ N, 0° 60’ W Vice County: Berks (VC 22) England
Old brown nest from house
Image 1: Comb - from belowImage 2: Nest - outer casing - close-upImage 3: Nest - outer casing removed to show combImage 4: Nest - with outer casing

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

NBNNBN (data.nbn.org.uk) has a distribution map for Vespula vulgaris (Common Wasp)
BioInfoBioInfo (www.bioinfo.org.uk) has 6 host/parasite/foodplant and/or other relationships for Vespula vulgaris (Common Wasp)
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