Hornet hornets may often be black and white. There is also a related genus of Asian nocturnal vespines, "Provespa", which are referred to as "night wasps" or "night hornets", though they are not true hornets. Some other large wasps are sometimes referred to as hornets, most notably the bald-faced hornet ("Dolichovespula maculata") found in North America. It is set apart by its black and ivory coloration. The name "hornet" is used for this and related species primarily because of their habit of making aerial nests (similar to the true hornets) rather than subterranean nests. Another example is the Australian hornet ("Abispa
Bald-faced hornet the southeastern United States. Males in this species are haploid and females are diploid. Worker females can therefore lay eggs which develop into males. Matricide might occur after sufficient workers have been raised and queen-destined eggs have been laid, in order to give workers a reproductive advantage. The bald-faced hornet gets its name from the characteristic white markings on its face, as the word "bald" in English is derived from the word piebald. It was first described by Linnaeus in 1763. "D. maculata" is part of the cosmopolitan family Vespidae. It is in the genus "Dolichovespula". Its black and white