A Systematic Study of the Vespula vulgaris Group with a Description of a New Yellowjacket Species in Eastern North America (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)1

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Abstract
A new species of yellowjacket wasp in eastern North America previously confused with 2 closely related species of the Vespula vulgaris (L.) species group, V. vulgaris and V. maculifrons (Buysson), is described as V. flavopilosa Jacobson n. sp. Morphological differences and stable color patterns consistent throughout the range for all castes distinguish the new species from other Vespula. Genetic differences revealed by electrophoretic studies also indicate the validity of the new form, with hexokinase precisely separating V. vulgaris and V. maculifrons from the new species and each other. Important biological differences reflected in nest architecture and colony cycles in localities where V. maculifrons and V. flavopilosa coexist further corroborate our conclusion. Apparent hybrid nests are explained as being a consequence of interspecific colony usurpation by queens of the different species resulting in colonies of mixed species composition. Keys for distinguishing between all castes of the 5 Nearctic species of the V. vulgaris group are given and types belonging to the group are discussed. A V. pensylvanica (Saussure) queen included in Saussure's type series is designated as lectotype.