Palaeovespa

Name: Palaeovespa ‭(‬oldVespa‭)‬.
Phonetic: Pay-lay-o-ves-pah.
Named By: T.‭ ‬D.‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Cockerell‭ ‬-‭ ‬1906.
Classification: Arthropoda,‭ ‬Insecta,‭ ‬Hymenoptera,‭ ‬Vespidae,‭ ‬Vespinae.
Species: P.‭ ‬florissantia‭ (‬type‭)‬,‭ ‬P.‭ ‬baltica,‭ ‬P.‭ ‬gillettei,‭ ‬P.‭ ‬relecta,‭ ‬P.‭ ‬scudderi,‭ ‬P.‭ ‬socialis,‭ ‬P.‭ ‬wilsoni,‭ ‬P.‭ ‬menatensis
Diet: Carnivore/Insectivore.
Size: Depending upon the species,‭ ‬body length of females is between‭ ‬12-17.5‭ ‬millimetres long.
Known locations: France‭ ‬-‭ ‬Menat Formation.‭ ‬Russia.‭ ‬USA,‭ ‬Colorado.
Time period: Thanetian of the Paleocene through to the Priabonian of the Eocene.
Fossil representation: Several individuals.

       Palaeovespa is a genus of wasp that lived at least from the end of the‭ ‬Paleocene to the end of the Eocene.‭ ‬Palaeovespa is noted for its similarity to the modern day genus Vespa,‭ ‬hence the name Palaeovespa which means‭ ‘‬old Vespa‭’‬.‭ ‬However the wing structure of Palaeovespa leaves no doubt that it is a distinct genus.‭

Further reading
-‭ ‬Fossil Hymenoptera from Florissant,‭ ‬Colorado.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology,‭ ‬Harvard College‭ ‬50‭(‬2‭)‬:33-58.‭ ‬-‭ ‬T.‭ ‬D.‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Cockerell‭ ‬-‭ ‬1906.
- Fossil Trigonalidae and Vespidae (Hymenoptera) in Baltic amber. - Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 107 (1): 55–63. - G. Poinar - 2005.
- The oldest Vespinae from the Paleocene of Menat (France) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae). - Zootaxa. 1344 (1): 59. - André Nel & Francis Auvray - 2006.



----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Random favourites