Vespa

Latin vespa (“wasp”)

Vespa f

1. A taxonomic genus within the family Vespidae – the hornets.

• (genus): Eukaryota - superkingdom; Animalia - kingdom; Bilateria - subkingdom; Protostomia - infrakingdom; Ecdysozoa - superphylum; Arthropoda - phylum; Hexapoda - subphylum; Insecta - class; Pterygota - subclass; Neoptera - infraclass; Holometabola - superorder; Hymenoptera - order; Apocrita - suborder; Vespoidea - superfamily; Vespidae - family; Vespinae - subfamily

• (genus): Vespa affinis, Vespa analis, Vespa basalis, Vespa bellicosa, Vespa bicolor, Vespa binghami, Vespa crabro, Vespa ducalis, Vespa dybowskii, Vespa fervida, Vespa fumida, Vespa luctuosa, Vespa mandarinia, Vespa mocsaryana, Vespa multimaculata, Vespa orientalis, Vespa philippinensis, Vespa simillima, Vespa soror, Vespa tropica, Vespa velutina, Vespa vivax (species)

• Hornet on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Vespa on Wikispecies.Wikispecies
• Vespa on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons

Trade name; borrowing from Italian Vespa, from vespa (“wasp”). Doublet of wasp.

Vespa (plural Vespas)

1. An Italian motor scooter.
   • 2004, Ebba Segerberg (translator), Henning Mankell, Before The Frost, page 76,

     Her 40-year-old Vespa was waiting in the yard under a custom-made cover.

   • 2009, David J. Degou, Cambridge Police Department, unnumbered page,

     In 1967, members of the traffic unit provide a funeral escort riding Vespa police model motor scooters. The Vespa scooter had the ability to cruise at speeds from 2 miles per hour to 65 miles per hour.

   • 2011, Terry A. Burgess, Smell the Devil's Breath, Uncommon Senses, Number 4, page 85,

     He grabbed the handlebars of the smallest Vespa near the end of the row and pulled the machine free of its slot.

• paves, pavés, spave, vapes

From vespa (“wasp”), in reference to its sound (see also Ape).

Vespa f (plural Vespe)

1. an Italian brand of motor scooter
2. also used as generic term for such scooters

• vespista

• Lambretta