Tawon ndas or lesser banded hornet (Vespa affinis) are medium wasps with queens up to 30mm, males 26mm and average workers 22-25mm. The head is dark red, brown and black. Segmented stomachs are dark brown except the first and second segments are yellowish orange to brown.
V. affinis has at least 10 subspecies with different color variations is V. a. alduini, V. a. alticincta, V. a. archiboldi, V. a. continentalis, V. a. hainensis, V. a. indosinensis, V. a. moluccana, V. a. nigriventris, V. a. picea and V. a. rufonigrans.
Tawon ndas forages in grassy areas, farmland, forests and deserts. They eat carbohydrates such as tree sap, nectar and fruit, while proteins such as larvae, carrion, paper wasps (Polistinae) and bees (Apidae). These insects often carry meat from new dead animals and flies that perch on the carcass.
Nests are built on trees and people's homes. Nests are generally elongated or pear in the tropics and oval with rounded tops in subtropical regions. A small sphere in the shape of a ball with a side entrance, while a larger nest extends vertically and has several entrances.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Euarthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Vespidae
Genus: Vespa
Species: V. affinis
Subspecies: V. a. alduini, V. a. alticincta, V. a. archiboldi, V. a. continentalis, V. a. hainensis, V. a. indosinensis, V. a. moluccana, V. a. nigriventris, V. a. picea and V. a. rufonigrans.
V. affinis has at least 10 subspecies with different color variations is V. a. alduini, V. a. alticincta, V. a. archiboldi, V. a. continentalis, V. a. hainensis, V. a. indosinensis, V. a. moluccana, V. a. nigriventris, V. a. picea and V. a. rufonigrans.
Tawon ndas forages in grassy areas, farmland, forests and deserts. They eat carbohydrates such as tree sap, nectar and fruit, while proteins such as larvae, carrion, paper wasps (Polistinae) and bees (Apidae). These insects often carry meat from new dead animals and flies that perch on the carcass.
Nests are built on trees and people's homes. Nests are generally elongated or pear in the tropics and oval with rounded tops in subtropical regions. A small sphere in the shape of a ball with a side entrance, while a larger nest extends vertically and has several entrances.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Euarthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Vespidae
Genus: Vespa
Species: V. affinis
Subspecies: V. a. alduini, V. a. alticincta, V. a. archiboldi, V. a. continentalis, V. a. hainensis, V. a. indosinensis, V. a. moluccana, V. a. nigriventris, V. a. picea and V. a. rufonigrans.