A nest of Polistes sp.
Photograph courtesy of Hamish Robertson, South African Museum

The Pollen, Paper and Potter Wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespoidea: Vespidae) of Southern Africa

compiled by Fred W Gess and Sarah K Gess

Department of Entomology, Albany Museum, Grahamstown, 6140 South Africa

© Copyright of this page belongs to the authors.
Yours is the access since 1 January 1998

CONTENTS

Introduction
Vespidae
Masarinae (Pollen wasps)
Eumeninae (Potter wasps)
Polistinae (Paper wasps)
Vespinae (Hornets)
References

INTRODUCTION

The Vepidae are currently represented by four subfamilies in South Africa, including the German hornet Vespula germanica, which was accidentally introduced to Cape Town recently. The phylogeny of the group based on cladistic analysis has been investigated by Carpenter (J.M. 1982. The Phylogenetic Relationships and Natural Classification of the Vespoidea (Hymenoptera). Systematic Entomology 7: 11-38).

The present list includes only the southern African taxa. For a list of species of Masarinae of the world described up to March 1994 see Gess, S.K. (1996).

Family: VESPIDAE

Sub-family: MASARINAE

Priscomasaris namibiensis Gess
Photograph courtesy of Sarah Gess, Albany Museum

Priscomasaris namibiensis Gess
Photograph courtesy of Sarah Gess, Albany Museum

Tribe: MASARINI

Sub-tribe: PRISCOMASARINA

  1. Genus: PRISCOMASARIS Gess, 1998
    1. P. namibiensis Gess
      Priscomasaris namibiensis Gess 1998
      Namibia

Sub-tribe: MASARINA

  1. Genus: CELONITES Latreille, 1802
    1. C. andrei Brauns
      Celonites andrei Brauns, 1905
      Northern Cape

    2. C. bergenwahliae Gess
      Celonites bergenwahliae Gess, 1989
      Northern and Western Cape

    3. C. capensis Brauns
      Celonites capensis Brauns, 1905
      Eastern and Western Cape

    4. C. clypeatus Brauns
      Celonites clypeatus Brauns, 1913
      Eastern and Northern Cape

    5. C. davidi Gess
      Celonites davidi Gess, 1989
      Northern Cape

    6. C. gariepensis Gess
      Celonites gariepensis Gess, 1997
      Northern Cape

    7. C. humeralis Richards
      Celonites humeralis Richards, 1962
      Northern Cape

    8. C. latitarsis Gess
      Celonites latitarsis Gess, 1992
      Western Cape

    9. C. lobeliae Gess
      Celonites lobeliae Gess, 1997
      Northern Cape

    10. C. michaelseni Schulthess
      Celonites michaelseni Schulthess, 1923
      Namibia

    11. C. peliostomi Ges
      Celonites peliostomi Gess, 1989
      Northern Cape

    12. C. promontorii Brauns
      Celonites promontorii Brauns, 1905
      Western Cape, Orange Free State

    13. C. purcelli Brauns
      purcelli Brauns, 1905
      Western Cape

    14. C. tumidiscutellatus Gess
      Celonites tumidiscutellatus Gess, 1997
      Northern Cape

    15. C. turneri Richards
      Celonites turneri Richards, 1962
      Eastern Cape

    16. C. wahlenbergiae Gess
      Celonites wahlenbergiae Gess, 1989
      Northern and Western Cape

    17. C. wheeleri Brauns
      Celonites wheeleri Brauns, 1905
      Eastern Cape


  2. Genus: CERAMIUS Latreille, 1810
    1. C. beyeri Brauns
      Ceramius beyeri Brauns, 1903
      Eastern, Northern and Western Cape

    2. C. bicolor (Thunberg)
      Philanthus bicolor Thunberg, 1815
      = Ceramius karooensis Brauns, 1902
      Eastern, Northern and Western Cape

    3. C. braunsi Turner
      Ceramius braunsi Turner, 1935
      Western Cape

    4. C. brevitarsis Gess
      Ceramius brevitarsis Gess, 1997
      Northern Cape

    5. C. caffer Saussure
      Ceramius caffer Saussure, 1855
      Western Cape
      = Ceramius consobrinus Saussure, 1855

    6. C. capicola Brauns
      Ceramius capicola Brauns, 1902
      Eastern and Western Cape, Orange Free State

    7. C. cerceriformis Saussure
      Ceramius cerceriformis Saussure, 1853
      = Ceramius schulthessi Brauns, 1902
      = Ceramius vespiformis Saussure, 1855
      Northern and Western Cape
    8. C. clypeatus Richards
      Ceramius clypeatus Richards, 1962
      Western Cape

    9. C. damarinus Turner
      Ceramius damarinus Turner, 1935
      Namibia

    10. C. jacoti Richards
      Ceramius jacoti Richards, 1962
      Western Cape

    11. C. lichtensteinii (Klug)
      Gnatho lichtensteinii Klug, 1810
      = Ceramius macrocephalus Saussure, 1854
      = Ceramius rufomaculatus Cameron, 1906
      Eastern, Northern and Western Cape, Orange Free State

    12. C. linearlis Klug
      Ceramius linearis Klug, 1824
      = Ceramius fumipennis Brauns, 1902
      Eastern, Northern and Western Cape
    13. C. metanotalis Richards
      Ceramius metanotalis Richards, 1962
      Western Cape

    14. C. micheneri Gess
      Ceramius micheneri Gess, 1968
      Western Cape

    15. C. nigripennis Saussure
      Ceramius nigripennis Saussure, 1854
      = Ceramius hessei Turner, 1935
      Northern Cape

    16. C. peringueyi Brauns
      Ceramius peringueyi Brauns, 1913
      Western Cape

    17. C. rex Saussure
      Ceramius rex Saussure, 1855
      Northern Cape

    18. C. richardsi Gess
      Ceramius richardsi Gess, 1965
      Western Cape

    19. C. socius Turner
      Ceramius socius Turner, 1935
      Western Cape

    20. C. toriger Schulthess
      Ceramius toriger Schulthess, 1935
      Western Cape


  3. Genus: JUGURTIA Saussure
    1. J. alfkeni (du Buysson)
      Masaris alfkeni du Buysson, 1904
      Northern Cape

    2. J. braunsi (Schulthess)
      Ceramiellus braunsi Schulthess, 1922
      Eastern and Northern Cape, Namibia

    3. J. braunsiella (Schulthess)
      Masaris braunsiella Schulthess, 1930
      Eastern, Western and Northern Cape, Namibia

    4. J. calcarata Richards
      Jugurtia calcarata Richards, 1962
      Western Cape

    5. J. codoni Gess
      Jugurtia codoni Gess, 1977
      Northern Cape

    6. J. confusa Richards
      Jugurtia confusa Richards, 1962
      Eastern Cape, Orange Free State

    7. J. discrepans (Brauns)
      Masaris discrepans Brauns, 1913
      Eastern and Western Cape, Namibia

    8. J. duplicata Richards
      Jugurtia duplicata Richards, 1962
      Northern Cape

    9. J. ebrunea (Turner)
      Jugurtia eburnea Turner, 1935
      = Jugurtia turneri eburnea Turner, 1935
      = Jugurtia polita Richards, 1962
      Northern and Western Cape

    10. J. koeroegabensis Gess
      Jugurtia koeroegabensis Gess, 1997
      Northern Cape

    11. J. saussurei (Brauns)
      Masaris saussurei Brauns, 1905
      Eastern, Northern and Western Cape

    12. J. spinolae (Saussure)
      Masaris spinolae Saussure, 1855
      **

    13. J. tigrina Gess
      Jugurtia tigrina Gess, 1997
      Northern Cape

    14. J. turneri (Schulthess)
      Masariella ? turneri Schulthess, 1929
      Western Cape


  4. Genus: MASARINA Richards, 1962
    1. M. ceres Gess
      Masarina ceres Gess, 1997
      Western Cape

    2. M. familiaris Richards
      Masarina familiaris Richards, 1962
      Eastern, Northern and Western Cape

    3. M. hyalinipennis Richards
      Masarina hyalinipennis Richards, 1962
      Northern and Western Cape

    4. M. mixta Richards
      Masarina mixta Richards, 1962
      Northern Cape

    5. M. mixtoides Gess
      Masarina mixtoides Gess, 1997
      Northern Cape

    6. M. namaqua Gess
      Masarina namaqua Gess, 1997
      Northern Cape

    7. M. parvula Gess
      parvula Gess, 1997
      Northern Cape

    8. M. peliostomi Gess
      Masarina peliostomi Gess, 1997
      Northern Cape

    9. M. strucki Gess
      Masarina strucki Gess, 1988
      Northern and Western Cape

    10. M. tylecodoni Gess
      Masarina tylecodoni Gess, 1997
      Northern Cape


  5. Genus: QUARTINIA Ed. Andre
    1. Q. alcestis Richards
      Quartinia alcestis Richards, 1962
      Western Cape

    2. Q. antennata Schulthess
      Quartinia antennata Schulthess, 1935
      Western Cape

    3. Q. artemis Richards
      Quartinia artemis Richards, 1962
      Northern Cape

    4. Q. atra Schulthess
      Quartinia atra Schulthess, 1929
      Western Cape

    5. Q. breyeri Richards
      Quartinia breyeri Richards, 1962
      ?Transvaal

    6. Q. hypatia Richards
      Quartinia hypatia Richards, 1962
      Northern Cape

    7. Q. jocasta Richards
      Quartinia jocasta Richards, 1962
      Northern Cape

    8. Q. media Schulthess
      Quartinia media Schulthess, 1929
      Western Cape

    9. Q. medusa Richrds
      Quartinia medusa Richards, 1962
      Namibia

    10. Q. ochraceopicta Schulthess
      Quartinia ochraceopicta Schulthess, 1932
      Namibia

    11. Q. paradoxa Brauns
      Quartinia paradoxa Brauns, 1905
      Eastern Cape

    12. Q. parcepunctata Richards
      Quartinia parcepunctata Richards, 1962
      Western Cape

    13. Q. perone Richards
      Quartinia perone Richards, 1962
      Western Cape

    14. Q. persephone Richards
      Quartinia persephone Richards, 1962
      Northern Cape

    15. Q. pluto Richards
      Quartinia pluto Richards, 1962
      Western Cape

    16. Q. proserpina Richards
      Quartinia proserpina Richards, 1962
      Northern Cape

    17. Q. punctulata Schulthess
      Quartinia punctulata Schulthess, 1930
      Western Cape

    18. Q. vagepunctata Schulthess
      Quartinia vagepunctata Schulthess, 1929
      Northern Cape

    [There are a further circa 13 undescribed Quartinia species in the collection of the Albany Museum]


  6. Genus: QUARTINIELLA Schulthess, 1929
    1. Q. flava Richards
      Quartiniella flava Richards, 1962
      Northern Cape

    2. Q. minuscula Turner
      Quartiniella minuscula Turner, 1939
      Eastern Cape

    3. Q. striata Richards
      Quartiniella striata Richards, 1962
      Northern Cape

    4. Q. turneri Schulthess
      Quartiniella turneri Schulthess, 1932
      Namibia

    5. Q. waterstoni Schulthess
      Quartiniella waterstoni Schulthess, 1929
      Northern and Western Cape


  7. Genus: QUARTINIOIDES Richards, 1962
    1. Q. albopicta Richards
      Quartinioides albopicta Richards, 1982
      Namibia

    2. Q. andromeda Richards
      Quartinioides andromeda Richards, 1962
      Western Cape

    3. Q. antigone Richards
      Quartinioides antigone Richards, 1962
      Western Cape

    4. Q. arsinoe Richards
      Quartinioides arsinoe Richards, 1962
      Western Cape, Namibia

    5. Q. basuto Richards
      Quartinioides basuto Richards, 1962
      Lesotho

    6. Q. capensis (Kohl)
      Quartinia capensis Kohl, 1898
      = Quartinia scutellimacula Schulthess, 1929 (in part)
      Eastern and Western Cape

    7. Q. ceres Richards
      Quartinioides ceres Richards, 1962
      Eastern, Northern and Western Cape

    8. Q. cressida Richards
      Quartinioides cressida Richards, 1962
      Eastern, Northern and Western Cape, Namibia

    9. Q. cyllene Richards
      Quartinioides cyllene Richards, 1962
      Western Cape

    10. Q. cynara Richards
      Quartinioides cynara Richards, 1962
      Eastern and Western Cape

    11. Q. diana Richards
      Quartinioides diana Richards, 1962
      Namibia

    12. Q. dryope Richards
      Quartinioides dryope Richards, 1962
      Eastern Cape

    13. Q. elissa Richards
      Quartinioides elissa Richards, 1962
      Western Cape

    14. Q. eurydice Richards
      Quartinioides eurydice Richards, 1962
      Northern Cape

    15. Q. galataea Richards
      Quartinioides galataea Richards, 1962
      Western Cape

    16. Q. hecuba Richards
      Quartinioides hecuba Richards, 1962
      Northern and Western Cape, ?Natal

    17. Q. helena Richards
      Quartinioides helena Richards, 1962
      Western Cape

    18. Q. helichrysi Richards
      Quartinioides helichrysi Richards, 1962
      Lesotho

    19. Q. hetaira Richards
      Quartinioides hetaira Richards, 1962
      Western Cape

    20. Q. interrupta (Turner)
      Quartinia interrupta Turner, 1939
      Eastern and Western Cape, to Namibia

    21. Q. iphigenia Richards
      Quartinioides iphigenia Richards, 1962
      Namibia

    22. Q. laeta (Schulthess)
      Quartinia laeta Schulthess, 1935
      Namibia

    23. Q. latona Richards
      Quartinioides latona Richards, 1962
      Western Cape

    24. Q. maerens (Schulthess)
      Quartinia maerens Schulthess, 1935
      Western Cape

    25. Q. matabele (Turner)
      Quartinia matabele Turner, 1939
      Zimbabwe

    26. Q. metallescens (Schulthess)
      Quartinia metallescens Schulthess, 1929
      Eastern Cape, Lesotho

    27. Q. metope Richards
      Quartinioides metope Richards, 1962
      Namibia

    28. Q. minima (Schulthess)
      Quartinia minima Schulthess, 1932
      Namibia

    29. Q. multipicta Richards
      Quartinioides multipicta Richards, 1962
      Western Cape

    30. Q. niveopicta (Schulthess)
      Quartinia niveopicta Schulthess, 1930
      Eastern and Western Cape

    31. Q. philomela Richards
      Quartinioides philomela Richards, 1962
      Northern Cape

    32. Q. phoebe Richards
      Quartinioides phoebe Richards, 1962
      Western Cape

    33. Q. poecila (Schulthess)
      Quartinia poecila Schulthess, 1930
      Namibia

    34. Q. propinqua (Schulthess)
      Quartinia propinqua Schulthess, 1932
      Western Cape, Namibia

    35. Q. senecionis Richards
      Quartinioides senecionis Richards, 1962
      Lesotho, Orange Free State

    36. Q. signata (Schulthess)
      Quartinia signata Schulthess, 1929
      Eastern Cape

    37. Q. signatifrons (Turner)
      Quartinia signatifrons Turner, 1932
      Eastern and Western Cape

    38. Q. tarsata Richards
      Quartinioides tarsata Richards, 1962
      Eastern Cape

    39. Q. titania Richards
      Quartinioides titania Richards, 1962
      Western Cape

    There are a further circa 26 undescribed Quartinioides species in the collection of the Albany Museum.



Subfamily: EUMENINAE

Under construction

Subfamily: POLISTINAE

Under construction

  1. Genus ROPALIDIA
  2. Genus POLISTES
  3. Genus BELONOGASTER

Subfamily: VESPINAE

  1. Genus: VESPULA
    1. V. germanica
      ** germanica
      Western Cape; ?.



REFERENCES

A complete list of works contributing to the knowledge of the taxonomy, systematics, biogeography, flower associations and potential as pollinators, life history, nesting and associated insects of and effects of landuse on Masarinae in southern Africa.

Brauns, H. 1905.
Masaridae von Südafrika. Annales Musei Nationalis Hungarici 3: 219-234.
Brauns, H. 1910.
Biologisches ueber südafrikanische Hymenopteren. Zeitschrift fuer wissenschaftliche Insektenbiologie 6: 384-387, 445-447.
Brauns, H. 1911.
Biologisches ueber südafrikanische Hymenopteren. Zeitschrift fuer wissenschaftliche Insektenbiologie 7: 16-19, 90-92, 117-120, 238-240.
Brauns, H. 1913.
Dritter Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Masariden (Hym.) von Südafrika. Entomologische Mitteilungen 2(7/8): 193-209.
du Buysson, R. 1904.
Especes nouvelles d'Hymenopteres. Bulletin de la Societe entomologique de France 1904: 144- 146.
Gess, F. W. 1965.
Contribution to the knowledge of the South African species of the genus Ceramius Latreille (Hymenoptera: Masaridae). Annals of the South African Museum 48(11): 219-231.
Gess, F. W. 1968.
Further contribution to the knowledge of the South African species of the genus Ceramius Latreille (Hymenoptera: Masaridae). Novos taxa entomologicos 57: 29-33.
Gess, F. W. 1973.
Third contribution to the knowledge of the South African species of the genus Ceramius Latreille (Hymenoptera: Masaridae). Annals of the Cape Provincial Museums (nat. Hist.) 9(6): 109-122.
Gess, F. W. 1989.
New species of the genus Celonites Latreille (Hymenoptera: Masaridae) from South Africa. Annals of the Cape Provincial Museums (nat. Hist.) 18 (4): 83-94.
Gess, F. W. 1992.
A new species of the genus Celonites Latreille associated with the flowers of Wahlenbergia in southern Africa (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Masarinae; Campanulaceae). Journal of Hymenoptera Research 1: 141- 144.
Gess, F.W. 1997.
Contributions to the knowledge of Ceramius Latreille, Celonites Latreille, Jugurtia Saussure and Masarina Richards (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Masarinae) in South Africa. Journal of Hymenoptera Research 6(1): 36- 74.
Gess, F. W. 1998.
Priscomasaris namibiensis Gess, a new genus and species of Masarinae (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) from Namibia, Southern Africa, with a discussion of its position within the subfamily. Journal of Hymenoptera Research 7(2): 296-304.
Gess, F.W. and Gess, S.K. 1980.
Ethological studies of Jugurtia confusa Richards, Ceramius capicola Brauns, C. linearis Klug and C. lichtensteinii (Klug) (Hymenoptera: Masaridae) in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Annals of the Cape Provincial Museums (nat. Hist.) 13(6): 63-83.
Gess, F.W. and Gess, S.K. 1986.
Ethological notes on Ceramius bicolor (Thunberg), C. clypeatus Richards, C. nigripennis Saussure and C. socius Turner (Hymenoptera: Masaridae) in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Annals of the Cape Provincial Museums (nat. Hist.) 16(7): 161-178.
Gess, F.W. and Gess, S.K. 1988a.
A contribution to the knowledge of the taxonomy and ethology of the genus Masarina Richards (Hymenoptera: Masaridae). Annals of the Cape Provincial Museums (nat. Hist.) 16(14): 351-363.
Gess, F.W. and Gess, S.K. 1988b.
A further contribution to the knowledge of the ethology of the genus Ceramius Latreille (Hymenoptera: Masaridae) in the southern and western Cape Province of South Africa. Annals of the Cape Provincial Museums (nat. Hist.) 18(1): 1-29.
Gess, F.W. and Gess, S.K. 1990.
A fourth contribution to the knowledge of the ethology of the genus Ceramius Latreille (Hymenoptera: Vespoidea: Masaridae) in southern Africa. Annals of the Cape Provincial Museums (nat. Hist.) 18(9): 183-202.
Gess, F.W. and Gess, S.K. 1991.
A preliminary survey of the aculeate wasps and the bees of the lower reaches of the Nossob River Valley, Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, South Africa. Koedoe 34(2): 77-88.
Gess, F.W. and Gess, S.K. 1992.
Ethology of three southern African ground nesting Masarinae, two Celonites species and a silk spinning Quartinia species, with a discussion of nesting by the subfamily as a whole (Hymenoptera: Vespidae). Journal of Hymenoptera Research 1(1): 145- 155.
Gess, F.W. and Gess, S.K. 1993.
Effects of increasing land utilization on species representation and diversity of aculeate wasps and bees in the semi-arid areas of Southern Africa. In: LaSalle, J. and I.D. Gauld, eds , Hymenoptera and Biodiversity . Wallingford: CAB International, pp. 83-113.
Gess, S. K. 1992a.
Biogeography of the masarine wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Masarinae) with particular emphasis on the southern African taxa and on correlations between masarine and forage plant distributions. Journal of Biogeography 19: 491-503.
Gess, S. K. 1992b.
"Ecology and natural history of the masarid wasps of the world with an assessment of their role as pollinators in southern Africa (Hymenoptera: Vespoidea: Masaridae)." Ph.D. diss., Rhodes University, Grahamstown.
Gess, S.K. 1996.
The Pollen Wasps: the natural history and ecology of the Masarinae Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.
Gess, S. K. and F. W. Gess. 1989.
Flower visiting by masarid wasps in southern Africa (Hymenoptera: Vespoidea: Masaridae). Annals of the Cape Provincial Museums (nat. Hist.) 18(5): 95-134.
Gess, S. K. and F. W. Gess. 1994.
Potential pollinators of the Cape Group of Crotalarieae ( sensu Polhill) (Fabales: Papilionaceae), with implications for seed production in cultivated Rooibos Tea. African Entomology 2(2): 97-106.
Gess, S.K., Gess, F.W. and Gess, R.W. 1997.
Update on the flower associations of southern African Masarinae with notes on the nesting of Masarina strucki Gess and Celonites gariepensis Gess (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Masarinae). Journal of Hymenoptera Research 6(1): 75- 91.
Klug. F. 1810.
Einige neue Piezaten-Gattungen. Mag. Ges. naturf. Freunde, Berlin 4: 31-45.
Richards, O. W. 1962.
A revisional study of the masarid wasps (Hymenoptera, Vespoidea). London: British Museum (natural History).
Saussure, H. de. 1854-5.
Etudes sur la famille des Vespides 3. Paris and Geneva.
von Schulthess, A. 1929.
Contribution to the knowledge of African Masaridae (Vespoidea). Annals and Magazine of Natural History (10) 3: 498-536.
von Schulthess, A. 1935.
Some more South African Masaridae (Vespoidea). Annals and Magazine of Natural History (10) 16: 383-390.
Turner, R. E. 1939.
Notes on the masarid wasps of the genus Quartinia . Annals of the Transvaal Museum 20(1): 1-4.

This part of A Catalogue of South African Insects revised: