Danske gedehamse (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) A species list of social danish vespids (Hymenoptera: Vespoidea: Vespidae) By Claus Rasmussen Eleven species of social wasp species (Vespinae) are recorded from Denmark. Carpenter and Kojima (1997) listed the world species and Archer (1989) presented a key for their identification. The Danish vernacular names and status for each species are modified from Pedersen (1975), who also presented a key in Danish for the identification of all eleven species. Although these wasps are often considered a nuisance, their colony life provides a rare opportunity for studying social behavior in Danish insects other than the native ants and bumble bees. According to Pedersen (1975), two social paper wasps (Polistinae) are occasional encountered in Denmark (Polistes biglumis (L.) and P. gallicus (L.)). The vespid subfamily Eumeninae (potter wasps) are also found in Denmark with approximately 30 species, although they are not social. Useful Literature: Archer ME. 1989. A key to the world species of the Vespinae (Hymenoptera). York, Academic board research committee of the College of Ripon & York St. John. 2. Carpenter JM, Kojima J-I. 1997. Checklist of the species in the subfamily Vespinae (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Vespidae). Natural history bulletin of Ibaraki University. 1: 51-92. Johnsen P. 1969. Gedehams Vespula austriaca ny for Danmark. Flora og fauna. 75: 61-62. Pedersen L-EK. 1975. De sociale gedehamse. Natur og museum. 17(1): 1-22.