Vespula is a small genus of social wasps, widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere. Along with members of their sister genus Dolichovespula, they are collectively known by the common name yellowjackets in North America. Vespula species have a shorter oculomalar space and a more pronounced tendency to nest underground than Dolichovespula.
Vespula
A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder. The wasps do not constitute a clade, a complete natural group with a single ancestor, as bees and ants are deeply nested within the wasps, having evolved from wasp ancestors. Wasps that are members of the clade Aculeata can sting their prey.
Wasp
Polistes sp., India
Megascolia procer, a giant solitary species from Java in the Scoliidae. This specimen's length is 77 mm (3.0 in) and its wingspan is 115 mm (4.5 in).
Megarhyssa macrurus, a parasitoid. The body of a female is 50 mm (2.0 in) long, with a c. 100 mm (3.9 in) ovipositor