Based on the collections of the Siberian Zoological Museum of the Institute of Animal Systematics and Ecology of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Novosibirsk, Russia) the ranges of 18 species of social wasps (Vespidae: Polistinae, Vespinae) in Siberia are outlined. Two species: Vespa dybowskii (Chita Area) and Dolichovespula omissa (Altai Mts.) are recorded in Siberia for the first time.
KEY WORDS: Vespidae, Vespinae, Polistinae, Siberia.
 

The social wasps from the European part of the former USSR and the Russian Far East are well known (Tobias, 1978; Kurzenko, 1995), while in Siberia, especially in its Western and Central parts, they are poorly studied. To fill this gap, I tried to arrange a collection of this group in the Siberian Zoological Museum (SZMN) based on large formerly unstudied material comprising more than 1500 specimens. The specimens which deposited in SZMN were occasionally collected in 1950-1990 by the author and A. I. Tsherepanov, G. A. Zolotarenko, N. A. Violovich, Yu. P. Korshunov, A. Z. Ermolenko, V. K. Stroganova, A. V. Barkalov, V. V. Dubatolov, A. Dudko, R. Dudko, O. E. Kosterin, B. P. Zakharov, V. K. Zintshenko, D. V. Logunov, S. V. Vasilenko, and others. Besides I used the material from the Kurgan Pedagogical Institute (Kurgan, Russia), Ust'-Kamenogorsk Museum of Local Lore, History and Economy (Ust'-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan) and personal collections of I. A. Artemov (Novosibirsk). This study covers the territory from the Urals Mts. and Kazakhtan Hill Land eastward to Yakutia and Transbaikalia.

Polistes (Polistella) snelleni (Saussure)

MATERIAL. Chitinskaya oblast': [additional material: Chita District;] 10 males, 29 females, Nerchinskii Zavod District: Nerchinskii Zavod; 3 km N of Argunsk.
NOTES. According to studied material, P. snelleni inhabits in Siberia the forest-steppe zone only.

Polistes (Polistes) dominulus (Christ) (=P. gallicus auct., nec. Linnaeus)

MATERIAL. Kazakhstan: Vostochno-Kazakhstanskaya oblast': 2 females, Kurchum Range and District, Zhilytau; Manrak Mts., 15 km upstream of the Taizhuzgen River mouth. Russia: Altaiskii krai: 1 female, Klyuchi.
NOTES. A very rare species, recorded few times only in the steppe zone of West Siberia.

Polistes (Polistes) biglumis (Linnaeus) (=P. chinensis auct., nec. Fabricius)

MATERIAL. Kazakhstan: Vostochno-Kazakhstanskaya oblast': 1 male, 6 females, Zaisan Hollow, Kurchum District, Chakelmes; Ayuda; Serebryansk vic., Pikhtovka; Ulanskii (Nikitinka) District, 10 km N of Nikitinka; Manrak Mts., 15 km upstream of the Taizhuzgen River mouth; Zaisan District, 20 km NE of Karatal, Bozaigyrkum sands. Russia: Chelyabinskaya oblast': 1 female, Chebarkul. Novosibirskaya oblast': 2 females, Novosibirsk; Maslyanino District, valley of the Zyryanka River. Altaiskii krai: 3 males, 2 females, Kur'ya District, Kolyvan; Pervomaiskii (Novoaltaiskoe) District, Bobrovskii pine forest. Altai Republic: 4 males, 8 females, Maima District, Saidys; Ongudai District, Malyi Yaloman River; Teletskoe Lake: Chiri; Kyga; cordon Kokshi; the Chulyshman River, cordon Chodro; cordon Katuyaryk; lower part of the Chuya River. Kemerovskaya oblast': 3 females, Novokuznetsk District: Gornaya Shoriya Mts.; Tashtagol District, Kuzedeevo; Chilisu-Anzas. Tuva: 16 females, M. Achin; Kaa-Khem (Saryg-Sep) District, Il'inka; Tandy (Bai-Khaak) District, Sosnovka; Znamenka; Pii-Khem (Turan) District, Ust'-Uyuk; Tes-Khem (Samagaltai) District, Shurmak. Chitinskaya oblast': 4 females, Nerchinskii Zavod; Gazimurovskii Zavod District, 30 km up from the Budyumkan village, left side of the Budyumkan valley.
NOTES. Rather common in South Siberia species occurred in the forest-steppe zone, and in the southern part of the taiga (forest) zone. At the same time, the species range is poorly studied. In Russia it was recorded from the Caucasus, Altai Mts., southern parts of Irkutskaya oblast', Buryatia and Amurskaya oblast' (Kurzenko, 1995). As P. chinensis it was reported for the Altai Mts. (Artemov, 1987) and from south-east of the European part of the ex-USSR (Tobias, 1978). So, this species occurs from southern part of Europe up to the southern regions of Siberia.
NEW NOTE: this material includes also 4 males from the "Leptopolistes" species-group (P. gallicus Linnaeus, s. lat.): Altaiskii krai: 1 male, Kur'ya District, Kolyvan (another male specimen from this locality is true P. biglumis); Altai Republic: 1 male, Teletskoe lake: Kyga; 2 males, Chulyshman River, cordon Chodro. Unfortunately, I couldn't separate females of these species.

Polistes (Polistes) nimpha (Christ)

MATERIAL. Kazakhstan: Vostochno-Kazakhstanskaya oblast': 3 males, 8 females, Serebryansk; Glubokoe; Kurchum Range and District, Zhilytau; Zaisan Hollow, Chakelmes; Ayuda; Ulanskii (Nikitinka) District, 10 km N of Nikitinka; Markakol' (Alekseevka) District: 16-19 km N of Chernyaevka; 9 km S of Karaoi; 5 km N of Alekseevka. Russia: Chelyabinskaya oblast': 1 female, Krasnoarmeiskii (Miasskoe) District, 7km N of Oktyabr'skoe. Kurganskaya oblast': 1 male, 10 females, Kurgan; Tselinnoe District, Ust'-Uiskoe; Ketovo District: Utyak, Temlyakovo. Tyumenskaya oblast': 1 female, Tyumen District, 6 km S of Salairka. Novosibirskaya oblast': 1 male, 5 females, Kuibyshevo District, Sergovka, Om' River; Chulym District, Sherstobitovo; Kolyvan' District, Menzelinskoe Lake; Ordynskii District: Novyi Sharap; Chingisy. Altaiskii Krai: 1 male, 4 females Charyshskoe District, Tulata; the late Shadrino District (uezd), Bykovo; Petropavlovskoe District, Soldatovo. Altai Republic: 1 male, 9 females, Shebalino District, Cherga; Lake Teletskoe: Artybash; Chiri; Kyga; cordon Kokshi. Khakasia: 4 females, Askiz District, 8 km SE of Birikchul; Tashtyp District, 9 km NW of Abaza, Sartaban. Tuva: 1 male, 28 females, Kyzyl; Znamenka; Tandy (Bai-Khaak) District, Sosnovka; Kaa-Khem District, Boyarovka; Ovyur District, Torgalyg; Tes-Khem (Samagaltai) District: the Orokhin-Gol River valley, 20 km E of Amtaigan-Khol’. Buryatia: 5 females, Selenga (Gusinoozersk) District, Taezhnyi; Ulan-Ude District, Kokorino, Gilbera River. Chitinskaya oblast': 5 males, 16 females, Chita; Kyra; Nerchinskii Zavod; Gazimurovskii Zavod District, the Budyumkan River, 5 km from the mouth.
NOTES. This species is widely distributed in the southern parts of the forest-steppe and steppe zones. The males collected from Chitinskaya oblast', have almost completely yellow tibia, without traces of balck or red patches.

Polistes (Polistes) riparius Sk. Yamane et S. Yamane

MATERIAL. Kurganskaya oblast': 1 male, without exact locality. Tomskaya oblast': 3 males, Kargasok District, Ust'-Churulka. Novosibirskaya oblast': 2 males, Kolyvan' District, Korolevka; Ordynskii District, Novyi Sharap. Altaiskii krai: 1 male, Petropavlovskoe District, Soldatovo. Kemerovskaya oblast': 4 males, Novokuznetsk District, Gornaya Shoriya Mts., 6 km NNE of Kuzedeevo; Sokolniki. Khakasia: 2 males, Tashtyp District: 9 km NW of Abaza, Sartaban. Tuva: 1 male, M. Achin. Chitinskaya oblast': 15 males, Onon District, Nizhnii Tsasuchei; Nerchinskii Zavod District: 25 km NE of Argunsk, valley Zapisina; Gazimurovskii Zavod District: 5-7 km NE of village Budyumkan; 10 km S of Uryupino.
NOTES. This species was described species from the East Asia (Yamane & Yamane, 1987). Ii Russia it has been recorded from the southern part of the Far East, Transbaikalia and Yakutia (Kurzenko, 1995). Females of this species are very similar to those of P. nimpha but differ in having the slightly longer clypeus, with the character being poorly marked so that females for the most part cannot be separated. Males of these species are distinguishable much better - in P. riparius middle and hind tibiae always with black patches, sometimes totally black (in P. nimpha middle and hind tibia yellow, without black and red patches). That is why I included into “Material” males only. Based on the studied specimens, P. riparius is distributed throughout the southern parts of West and Middle Siberia, with the westernmost point being the Kurganskaya oblast'; northwards it penetrates into the south taiga zone.

Vespa crabro Linnaeus

MATERIAL. Kazakhstan: Vostochno-Kazakhstanskaya oblast': 2 females, 5 workers, 30 km NE of Ust'-Kamenogorsk, Topikha; Serebryansk. Russia: Chelyabinskaya oblast': 1 female, Chebarkul' District, Kisegach. Kurganskaya oblast': 1 male, 22 females, 5 workers, Bashkirskoe; Berezovo; Red’kino; Makushino; Utyak; Ketovo District, Temlyakovo; Polovinnoe District, Sumki. Tyumenskaya oblast': 1 male, 1 female, 1 worker, Nizhnyaya Tavda District: 6 km SW Tyunevo; Tyumen and vic. Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Region: 1 female, 1 worker, Oktyabr'skoe. Tomskaya oblast': 4 males, 2 females, 5 workers, Kargasok District, Ust'-Churulka; Chainskii (Podgornoe) District, Kolomino; Tomsk. Novosibirskaya oblast': 2 males, 16 females, Kuibyshevo District, Novodubrovka; Kolyvan' District: Skala; Menzelinskoe Lake; Novosibirsk District: Novosibirsk, 15 km from Erestnaya; Shelkovichikha; Vorob’evskii; Moshkovo District: 5 km E of Zherebtsovo. Altaiskii Krai: Klyuchi; the late Shadrino District (uezd), Bykovo; Kur'ya District, Kolyvan; Charyshskoe District, Tulata; Barnaul; Petropavlovskoe District, Soldatovo. Altai Republic: 1 male, 2 females, 9 workers, Ust'-Koksa District, 7 km W from Katanda; Teletskoe Lake, Artybash. Kemerovskaya oblast': 1 female, 2 workers, 10 km E from Kemerovo, Zhuravli; Novokuznetsk District: Gornaya Shoriya Mts., Kuzedeevo. Khakasia: 1 worker, Tashtyp District: 9 km NW of Abaza, Sartaban. Krasnoyarskii krai: 3 workers, Nature Reserve “Stolby”. Chitinskaya oblast': 3 females, 2 workers, Gazimurovskii Zavod District: 6-7 km NE of Budyumkan village; 10 km S of Uryupino.
NOTES. In West Siberia this species is widely distributed in the forest zone from the north taiga to the forest-steppe; but is very rare in the steppe zone: there is a single observation in the Altaiskii Krai Area (Klyuchi) in field-protecting forest stripes. In East Siberia it was not found in the steppes of South-East Transbaikalia, and northwardly of the Baikal Lake.

Vespa dybowskii André

MATERIAL. Chitinskaya oblast': 6 workers, Gazimurovskii Zavod District: the Argun valley, 10 km S of Uryupino, 12 VIII 1996 (Dubatolov).
NOTES. Here this species firstly recorded from Siberia. It was found in the Argun River basin in a larch-birch forest with participation of Quercus mongolicus, i. e. in the westernmost isolated relic forest of the Mongolian oak, which is thought to be an indicator species for the Mandshurian type communities.

Vespula (Vespula) austriaca (Panzer)

MATERIAL. Ekaterinburgskaya oblast': 1 female, Irbit. Kurganskaya oblast': 1 female, without exact locality. Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Region: 1 male, 2 females, Oktyabr'skoe. Tomskaya oblast': 3 females, Asino; Kargasok District, Ust'-Churulka. Novosibirskaya oblast': 1 female, Novosibirsk; 2 females, Ordynskii District: Novyi Sharap; Chingisy. Altai Republic: 1 male, 2 females, Shebalino District, Cherginskii Range, Mukhorikha Rivulet; Kosh-Agach District, Kurai, alpine meadow; Teletskoe Lake, Artybash. Kemerovskaya oblast': 1 female, Sinerechenka village. Khakasia: 1 female, Tashtyp District: 9 km NW of Abaza, Sartaban. Krasnoyarskii krai: 2 females, Podkamennaya Tunguska. Chitinskaya oblast': 1 female, Chita.
NOTES. Nest parasite of Vespula rufa was reported from the whole forest zone (Kurzenko, 1995).

Vespula (Vespula) rufa (Linnaeus)

MATERIAL. Kurganskaya oblast': 3 females, 1 worker, Kurgan District, Zharnikovo; Ketovo District, Temlyakovo. Tyumenskaya oblast': 1 female, 3 workers, Tyumen district, Andreevskoe; 6 km S of Salairka. Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Region: 2 females, 1 worker, Oktyabr'skoe; Nature Reserve “Yuganskii”, Kytne-lor Lake. Omskaya oblast': 1 worker, Cherlak District, Solyanoe. Tomskaya oblast': 1 male, 1 female, 2 workers, Asino; Kargasok District, Ust'-Churulka; Chizhapka. Novosibirskaya oblast: 2 males, 9 females, 11 workers, Kargat District, the Kargat river mouth; Ubinskoe District, Chernyi Mys; Krasnozerskoe District, Polovinnoe; Ordynskii District: Novyi Sharap; Chingisy, cordon Krasnoyarskii; Kolyvan' District, Pikhtovka; Novosibirskii District: Novosibirsk and vic.; Moshkovskii District: Moshkovo; Maslyaninskii District: Maslyanino. Altaiskii Krai: 1 female, 1 worker, Barnaul; the late Shadrino District (uezd), Bykovo. Altai Republic: 1 male, 2 females, 2 workers, Turochak; Lake Teletskoe: Artybash; Ydyp. Kemerovskaya oblast': 1 female, 1 worker, 25 km NW from Kemerovo, Pod'yakovo. Novokuznetsk District, Gornaya Shoriya Mts., Kuzedeevo. Khakasia: 1 worker, Tashtyp District: 9 km NW of Abaza, Sartaban. Taimyr: 1 worker, Nature Reserve “Taimyrskii”, Ary-Mas forest. Tuva: 1 female, 1 worker, Pii-Khem (Turan) District, Khaibar; Kara-Khol'. Irkutskaya oblast': 3 workers, 25 km from Irkutsk to Lake Baikal, hostel "Elochka"; Kazachinsko-Lenskii (Kazachinskoe) District, north part of the Baikal'skii Range, Kunerma. Buryatia: 1 female, Ulan-Ude District, Kokorino. Chitinskaya oblast': Onon District, Nizhnii Tsasuchei; Gazimurovskii Zavod District, 5-7 km NE of the village Budyumkan. Yakutia: 3 females, 232 km of the road from Khandyga to Magadan, upper flow of the Vostochnaya Khandyga River; 40 km low from Srednekolymsk.
NOTES. One of the most widespread species. It is distributed from the northernmost forest plot Ary-Mas in the Taimyr Peninsula, southwards to the steppe zone, where restricted to forest localities.

Vespula (Paravespula) germanica (Fabricius)

MATERIAL. Kazakhstan: Vostochno-Kazakhstanskaya oblast': 3 females, 1 worker, 30 km NE of Ust'-Kamenogorsk, Topikha; Samarskoe District, Kuludzhun sands; Ulanskii (Nikitinka) District: 35 km NW of Nikitinka, Airtau Mt.; Markakol' (Alekseevka) District: Topolevka. Russia: Kurganskaya oblast': 25 females, 5 workers, Pritobol'nyi (Glyadyanskoe) District: Zverinogolovskoe; Lebyazh'e District: Lebyazh’e; Lis'e; Kurgan; Kurtamysh District: Pes’yanoe; Ketovo District: Prosvet; Temlyakovo. Tyumenskaya oblast': 1 male, 1 female, 1 worker, Tyumen District: Tyumen; 6 km S of Salairka. Omskaya oblast': 3 females, Omsk; Cherlak District, Solyanoe. Tomskaya oblast': Kargasok District, Ust'-Churul'ka; Chainskii (Podgornoe) District, Kolomino; Tomsk District, Filonovo. Novosibirskaya oblast': 3 females, 5 workers, Karasuk; Kuibyshevo District, Kaily; Tropino; Novosibirsk. Altaiskii Krai: 1 female, Zarinsk, Golubtsovo. Altai Republic: 1 male, 1 worker, Shebalino District: 5 km from the Bulukhta River mouth; Teletskoe Lake, Artybash. Krasnoyarskii krai: 3 males, 3 workers, Taseevo. Tuva: 3 females, 2 workers, Bai-Taiga (Teli) District: Teli; Khemchik; Ulug-Khem (Shagonar) District, Chaa-Khol'; Tes-Khem (Samagaltai) District: Irbitei; 45 km W of Oo-Shinaa; Erzin District: 30 km W of Erzin, Onchalaan. Buryatia: 3 females, 6 workers, Kyakhta District, 5 km NNW of Chikoi, Dureny. Chitinskaya oblast': 2 males, 6 females, 21 workers, Chita; Onon District, Nizhnii Tsasuchei.
NOTES. Widely distributed and very common in South Siberia species. Distribution of V. germanica northwardly is limited by the south taiga zone: Tobol'sk, Krasnoyarsk in West Siberia and upper flow of the Shilka River in Transbaikalia (Kurzenko, 1982).

Vespula (Paravespula) vulgaris (Linnaeus)

MATERIAL. Kurganskaya oblast': 8 females, 1 worker, Lebyazh'e District, Kamyshnoe; Ketovo District, Temlyakovo; Kurtamysh District: Pes’yanoe. Tyumenskaya oblast' and District: 1 worker, 6 km S of Salairka. Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Region: 4 females, Oktyabr'skoe; Nature Reserve “Yuganskii”, Yurt-Achimovy. Tomskaya oblast': 2 females, 1 worker, Tomsk; Kozhevnikovo District: 60 km SSW of Kozhevnikovo, Chilino. Novosibirskaya oblast': 1 male, 11 females, 5 workers, Kuibyshevo District: 7 km NE of Sergovka, Om' River; Novodubrovka; Kargat District: the Kargat River mouth; Kolyvan' District: Boyarka; Novosibirsk; 40 km E of Novosibirsk; Linevo; Moshkovo District: Zherebtsovo; Maslyanino. Altaiskii Krai: 3 females, Kalmanka; Petropavlovskoe District, Soldatovo; the late Shadrino District (uezd), Bykovo. Altai Republic: 1 male, 5 females, 6 workers, Gorno-Altaisk; Shebalino District, Chemal; Ust'-Koksa District, 7 km W of Katanda; Kosh-Agach District, Kurai; Teletskoe Lake, Artybash. Kemerovskaya oblast': 1 female, 3 workers, 25 km NW from Kemerovo, Pod'yakovo; Tyazhin District, Tyazhinskii forest, square 114. Khakasia: 1 worker,  Tashtyp District: 9 km NW of Abaza, Sartaban. Krasnoyarskii Krai: 1 female, Nature Reserve “Stolby”, Maslenka. Tuva: 2 females, 2 workers, Kyzyl; Ovyur (Khandagaity) District, Tannu-Ola Mts., Khundurgun Pass. Irkutskaya oblast': 1 worker, 25 km from Irkutsk to Lake Baikal, hostel "Elochka". Buryatia: 8 females, 6 workers, Nature Reserve “Baikal'skii””, the headwaters of the Osinovka River; Baikal, Dogarskaya Hollow; Selenginskii (Gusinoozersk) District: Lake Shchuch’e; Taezhnyi; Ulan-Ude District, Kokorino; Kyakhta District, 5 km NNW from Chikoi, Dureny. Chitinskaya oblast': 9 females, 13 workers, Chita; Kyra District; Nature Reserve “Sokhondinskii”: the Verkhnii Bukukun and Agutsa cordons; Onon district: Nizhnii Tsasuchei; Lake Zun-Torei; Gazimurovskii Zavod District: 5-7 km NE of the village Budyumkan; 10 km S of Uryupino. Yakutia: 3 females, 1 worker, Yakutsk; upper flow of the Vostochnaya Khandyga River, 232 km of the road Khandyga-Magadan; 40 km low from Srednekolymsk.
NOTES. One of the most widespread species in Siberia ranging from the forest-tundra to the steppes zone.

Dolichovespula media (Retzius)

MATERIAL. Kazakhstan: Semipalatinskaya oblast': 1 worker, Kalguty. Russia: Kurganskaya oblast': 4 females, P. Kamag; Ketovo District: Prosvet; Utyak; Pritobol'nyi (Glyadyanskoe) District, Ukrainets. Tyumen Area and District: 3 males, 6 km S of Salairka; 15 km W of Tyumen. Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Region: 4 workers,  Oktyabr'skoe. Tomskaya oblast': 2 males, 1 females, Kargasok District: Ust'-Churulka, Chizhapka; Chainskii (Podgornoe) District, Kolomino; Tomsk. Novosibirskaya oblast': 4 females, 4 workers, Krasnozerskoe District, Polovinnoe; Kolyvan' District, Boyarka; Pikhtovka; Menzelinskoe Lake; Ordynskii District: 4 km NE of Burmistrovo; Novosibirsk. Altai Republic: 2 workers, Teletskoe Lake, Artybash. Kemerovskaya oblast': 4 workers, Novokuznetsk District: Gornaya Shoriya Mts., Kuzedeevo. Krasnoyarskii krai: 2 females, 1 worker, Achinsk and vic.; Yenisei River, Verkhneimbatskoe. Tuva: 1 worker, Tes-Khem (Samagaltai) District, Irbitei. Buryatia: 1 worker, Kyakhta District, 5 km NNW from Chikoi, Dureny. Aginskii Buryat Autonomous District: 1 worker, the Nature Park “Alkhanai”. Chitinskaya oblast': 7 males, 24 females, Gazimurovskii Zavod District: low flow of the Budyumkan River; 10 km S of Uryupino; Nerchinskii Zavod District: Nerchinskii Zavod; Zapisina Pad’ valley.
NOTES. Widespread throughout the whole forest zone of Siberia, from the forest-tundra to forest plots within the steppe zone. Recorded also from Yakutia (Kurzenko, 1995).

Dolichovespula adulterina (Buysson)

MATERIAL. Russia: Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Region: 1 female, the Polar Urals, 156 km from the Chum railway station. Novosibirskaya oblast': 1 female, Kolyvan' District, Boyarka. Yakutia: 6 females, upper flow of the Vostochnaya Khandyga River, 232 km of the road Khandyga-Magadan.
NOTES Hitherto known from Siberia in Buryatia being reported by the same author as a nest parasite of D. saxonica (Kurzenko, 1995). Very rare species in South Siberia, but more common in the north and middle taiga. It ranges throughout the whole forest zone, from the forest-tundra south to the northern parts of the forest-steppe zone.

Dolichovespula omissa (Bischoff)

MATERIAL. Kazakhstan/Russia: 1 female, the Altai Mts., the Listvyaga Range, near the Tesninskii Belok Mt., 2200 m, 27 VII 1997 (R. Dudko, Zintshenko).
NOTES. A single specimen of this European species was firstly found in Siberia in the Central Altai Mts., just on the Kazakhstan-Russia border. It is a nest parasite of D. sylvestris (see: Tobias, 1978).
NEW MATERIAL. Russia: 1 female, Khakasia, Shira District, Malaya Syya, 16.07.1998 (Zintshenko leg.).

Dolichovespula sylvestris (Scopoli)

MATERIAL. Kazakhstan: Vostochno-Kazakhstanskaya oblast': 4 females, 6 workers, Serebryansk; Katon-Karagai District: the Katunskii Range, Rakhmanovskie Klyuchi; Glubokoe District, the Ivanovskii Range: Cherepanovskii Belok Mt.; 20 km SE of Leninogorsk; Markakol' (Alekseevka) District: 10 km W of Basterekty; Urunkhaika; Zaisan Hollow: Saikan Mts.; Tarbagatai District: Manrak Range, Tai-zherzgen; Zaisan District: Saur Range, Chaganovo, right tributary of the Tok-bulak River. Russia: Kurganskaya oblast': 1 female (without exact locality). Tyumenskaya oblast': 2 workers, Tyumen District, 6 km S of Salairka. Tomskaya oblast': 1 male, 2 workers, Kargasok District, Ust'-Churul'ka; Chainskii (Podgornoe) District, Kolomino; Tomsk. Novosibirskaya oblast': 2 females, Kuibyshevo District, Sergovka, Om' River; Maslyaninskii District: Maslyanino. Altaiskii Krai: 4 workers, Charyshskoe District, Tulata. Altai Republic: 1 worker, Shebalino District: Cherginskii Range, Mukhor-Cherga. Kemerovskaya oblast': 2 females, Yurginskii District, Filonovo; Gornaya Shoriya, Kuzedeevo. Khakasia: 1 male, Tashtyp District, 9 km NW of Abaza, Sartaban. Tuva: 2 females, 10 workers, Tandy District, Sosnovka; Ovyur District, Tannu-Ola Mts., Khundurgun Pass; 13-15 km W of Khandagaity; Tes-Khem (Samagaltai) District, Irbitei; Samagaltai; Pii-Khem (Turan) District, 10 km N of Seserlig. Buryatia: 4 females, 1 worker, Ulan-Ude District, Kokorino; Kyakhta District, 5 km NNW from Chikoi, Dureny. Chitinskaya oblast': 3 males, 1 female, 32 workers, Onon District, Nizhnii Tsasuchei.
NOTES. This species was recorded from the south-eastern parts of Siberia up to the east of the Irkutskaya oblast' (Kurzenko, 1995). Here it is firstly mentioned from West Siberia and Kazakhstan. It is common in the steppe and forest-steppe zones of South Siberia; in the south taiga, it is much rarer.

Dolichovespula pacifica (Birula)

MATERIAL. Kazakhstan: Vostochno-Kazakhstanskaya oblast': 2 females, Katon-Karagai District, Katunskii Range, near Belukha Mt., Berel'; Zaisan Hollow: Saikan Mts. Russia: Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Region: 1 female, the Polar Urals, 156 km from the Chum railway station. Omskaya oblast': 1 worker, Omsk. Novosibirskaya oblast': 1 female, few workers, 1 nest, Novosibirsk. Krasnoyarskii Krai: 2 workers, the Yenisei River, Verkhneimbatskoe; Podkamennaya Tunguska. Tuva: 2 workers, Tannu-Ola Mts., S slope of the Khundurgun Pass. Irkutskaya oblast': 1 worker, 23 km S of Slyudyanka.
NOTES. A poorly known boreal species, distributed from Norway and Sweden up to the Russian Far East. A. Pekkarinen (1995) treated it as conspecific to the North American D. norvericoides (Sladen), but according to latest check list of subfamily Vespinae of the World (Carpenter & Kojima, 1997) D. pacifica is considered as a separate species. In Siberia this species was recorded in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Region, Altai Mts., Irkutskaya oblast', northern part of Chitinskaya oblast' and southern parts of the Magadanskaya oblast (Kurzenko, 1995; Pekkarinen, 1995). Here it is firstly recorded from the southern part of West Siberia and Tuva.

Dolichovespula norwegica (Fabricius)

MATERIAL. Kazakhstan: Vostochno-Kazakhstanskaya oblast': 1 male, 5 females, 4 workers, Katon-Karagai District: Listvyaga Range, Seredchikha near Yazovoe; Katunskii Range, Rakhmanovskie Klyuchi; Markakol' (Alekseevka) District, 17 km NNE from Urunkhaika, Alatai Mts.; 10 km WSW from Urunkhaika; 10 km NNE from Urunkhaika, Sorvenok River; Tarbagatai Range, Burkhat Pass. Russia: Kurganskaya oblast': 1 male, Kurgan. Tyumenskaya oblast': 1 female, 2 workers, Priural'sk; Tyumen. Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Region: 5 females, 9 workers, Labytnangi; Shchuch'ya River; left side of the Tanlovayakha River; the Polar Urals, 156 km from the Chum railway station. Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Region: 2 workers, Oktyabr'skoe. Novosibirskaya oblast': 2 workers, Kuibyshevo District, Nikolaevka; Novosibirsk. Altai Republic: 2 males, 6 workers, Tuskol'; 15 km SW of Artybash; Nature Reserve “Altaiskii”, Kolyushtu Mt.; Lake Teletskoe: Artybash; Kyga. Taimyr: 2 males, 2 females, 8 workers, between Noril'sk and Snezhnogorsk; Talnakh; Laide River, right tributary of the Malaya Kheta River; Nature Reserve “Taimyrskii”, Ary-Mas forest. Krasnoyarskii Krai: 1 female, the Yenisei River, Verkhneimbatskoe. Tuva: 2 females, 16 workers, Ovyur (Khandagaity) District, Tannu-Ola Mts., Khundurgun Pass; Torgalyg; 15 km W of Khandagaity; Tes-Khem (Samagaltai) District: Khol’-Oozhu; Aryskannyg-Khem. Irkutskaya oblast': 1 male, 3 workers,  Slyudyanka District: 7 km S of Slyudyanka; 10 km S of Slyudyanka, Cherskii Mt.; the Snezhnaya River, 10 km of the mouth, a border with Buryatia. Buryatia: 1 female, 1 worker, Nature Reserve “Baikal'skii”, the headwater of the Osinovka River. Chitinskaya oblast': 5 males, 2 females, 2 workers, Nature Reserve “Sokhondinskii”: the Bukukun River, winter house “klyuch Ernistyi”; Onon District, Nizhnii Tsasuchei; Aleksandrovskii Zavod District: mountain 5 km N of Akatui. Yakutia: 8 females, 2 workers, Yakutsk; the upper flow of the Vostochnaya Khandyga River, 232 km of the road Khandyga-Magadan.
NOTES. A widely distributed boreal species being much common in high mountains and in the North, where inhabits the northernmost forest plot in Taimyr (Ary-Mas). In the forest-steppe zone of West Siberia, it inhabits peat-moss raised bogs (“ryam”); sometimes penetrates into the steppe zone (for example, in the Chitinskaya oblast' it is rare and occurs in moist forest floodlands).

Dolichovespula saxonica (Fabricius)

MATERIAL. Kazakhstan: East-Kazakhstan Area: 1 worker, Ulanskii (Nikitinka) District: 20 km SE of Nikitinka. Russia: Chelyabinskaya oblast': 2 workers, Chelyabinsk. Kurganskaya oblast': 1 male, 1 female, Kurgan; Shchuch'e District, Chumlyak; Pritobol'nyi (Glyadyanskoe) District, Uval. Tyumenskaya oblast': 1 male, 1 female, 5 workers, Tyumen District: Lake Andreevskoe, settlement Melioratorov; 6 km S of Salairka; 15 km W of Tyumen. Tomskaya oblast': 2 workers, Kargasok District: Ust'-Churul'ka, Chizhapka. Novosibirskaya oblast': 1 male, 17 females, 10 workers, Krasnozerskoe District, Polovinnoe; Kolyvan' District: Pikhtovka; Boyarka; Novosibirsk; Moshkovo District, Zherebtsovo. Altaiskii Krai: 1 worker, Zarinsk. Altai Republic: 4 males, 1 female, 6 workers, Saragol; Ongudai District, Khabarovka; Lake Teletskoe: Artybash; Chiri, Chelyush River; Nature Reserve “Altaiskii”, Kolyushtu Mt. Kemerovskaya oblast': 6 workers, Kemerovo; 15 km WSW from Mariinsk, Pervomaiskii; Tyazhin; Novokuznetsk District: Gornaya Shoriya Mts., Kuzedeevo. Khakasia: 2 females, 3 workers, Shira; Askiz District, 15-25 km NNE of Balyksu; Birikchul’; Tashtyp District, 9 km NW of Abaza, Sartaban. Taimyr: 2 males, between Noril'sk and Snezhnogorsk. Krasnoyarskii Krai: 1 worker, East Sayan: the Kurtushibinskii Range, Shivilig. Tuva: 2 workers, Irbitei. Irkutskaya oblast: 2 females, 3 workers, Irkutsk; 25 km from Irkutsk to Lake Baikal, hostel "Elochka"; Ust'-Kut District. Buryatia: 18 females, 7 workers, Nature Reserve “Baikal'skii”, the headwaters of the Osinovka River; Selenginskii (Gusinoozersk) District, Lake Shchuch’e; Kokorino; Kyakhta District, 5 km NNW of Chikoi, Dureny; the northern part of Baikal, Dogarskaya Hollow; the Witim table land, Baisa. Aginskii Buryat Autonomous Region: 1 worker, Nature Park “Alkhanai”. Chitinskaya oblast': 41 males, 4 females, 33 workers, Chita; Nature Reserve “Sokhondinskii”, Bukukun River, the winter house “klyuch Ernistyi”; Onon District, Nizhnii Tsasuchei; Gazimurovskii Zavod District: Uryupino; 10 km S of Uryupino; 3-rd valley S of the Budyumkan River mouth; Budyumkan River, 5 km from the mouth; 5-7 km NE of village Budyumkan; Nerchinskii Zavod District: Nerchinskii Zavod.
NOTES. One of the most common and widespread species occurring from the forest-tundra to the steppe zone, where it is rare and inhabits forest localities only. Here it is recorded for the first time from North-Eastern Kazakhstan.

I am grateful to colleagues who contributed to the materials mentioned in this paper, to D. Mil'ko (Bishkek, Kirghisia) for help with literature, to I. A. Artemov (Novosibirsk) for a possibility to examine his collection, to N. Skalon and S. Rozhkov (Kemerovo Pedagogical University) for additional material from the Kemerovo Area, to O. E. Kosterin (Novosibirsk) for the help with translation of the text into English; to N. V. Kurzenko, Yu. A. Tshistjakov and S. Y. Storozhenko (Vladivostok) for useful comments and editing the text. I am also grateful to N. A. Utkin (Kurgan) for sending materials of the Kurgan Pedagogical Institute for determination, to V. K. Zinchenko (Novosibirsk) and administration of Ust'-Kamenogorsk Museum of Local Lore, History and Economy (Ust'-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan) for a possibility to work with materials of this museum, and to V. A. Brinikh, a Director of Daurskii Nature Reserve for organization of a very fruitful expedition to the lower Argun' River valley.

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