Diversity and Species Composition of Vespid Wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in Shangla, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

The family Vespidae is one of the most diverse and ecologically important families within the Hymenoptera order. This family has considerable importance as a predator as well as a pollinator. The main objective of the present study was to record the species diversity, distribution, and abundance of the Vespid wasps in the District Shangla, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Field surveys were conducted from May 2022 to June 2023, in various habitats such as forest edges, agricultural fields, orchards, mountain slopes, and residential areas. A total of 300 specimens were collected and morphologically identified into 15 species and nine genera of the family Vespidae. The species belonged to three subfamilies were Polistinae, Vespinae, and Eumeninae. Among these the subfamily Polistinae was the most predominant in terms of species richness and abundance, with the genus Polistes was the highly prevalent. Polistes rothneyi was recorded as the abundant species across the surveyed area. Species of the family Vespinae include Vespa mandarinia, Vespa tropica, and Vespula flaviceps, were mainly recorded in forest habitats, whereas Eumeninae was mainly recorded in rocky and field-edge habitats. Eight species were collected from Martung, four from Chakesar and three from Alpuri. The results emphasize the ecological significance and diversity of Vespidae recorded during the study period and offer baseline information on taxonomy and distribution within District Shangla.