Vespa tricincta, _Fabr. Ent. Syst._ 2. 254. 5. (1793.) _Syst. Piez._ 254.
5.
HABITAT: North America.
Head greenish brown: on the top are three little eyes. Mouth furnished
with jaws. Eyes large, oblong, and dark brown. Antennæ shorter than the
thorax. It has no tongue. Thorax greenish brown. {78}Anterior wings
extending beyond the abdomen, being thin and diaphanous. Abdomen
furnished with a sting, and entirely black, except the first three rings,
which are party-coloured, and mixed with yellow; the middle one being
surrounded with that colour. Legs dusky orange, but when living they were
probably of a yellow colour. Breast black, but covered with hairs, making
it appear of a greyish hue.
This is the largest and finest species of the genus to which it belongs.
Drury, contrary to his usual practice, is silent as to its habitat, and
Fabricius states America generally. I have received it from Mr. Titian R.
Peale of Philadelphia. That it is identical with the Vespa tricincta of
Fabricius I am enabled to state by an examination of the individual
contained in the Banksian Collection, now belonging to the Linnæan Society
of London, which was described by Fabricius.