Common wasp  (Vespula vulgaris)

Abdomen: in arthropods (crustaceans, insects and arachnids) the abdomen is the hind region of the body, which is usually segmented to a degree. In crustacea (e.g. crabs) the limbs attach to the abdomen; in insects the limbs are attached to the thorax (the part of the body nearest to the head) and not the abdomen. In vertebrates the abdomen is the part of the body that contains the internal organs (except the heart and lungs).
Antennae: pair of sensory structures on the head of invertebrates.
Hibernation: a winter survival strategy characteristic of some mammals in which an animal's metabolic rate slows down and a state of deep sleep is attained. Whilst hibernating, animals survive on stored reserves of fat that they have accumulated in summer. In insects, the correct term for hibernation is 'diapause', a temporary pause in development and growth. Any stage of the lifecycle (eggs, larvae, pupae or adults) may enter diapause, which is typically associated with winter.
Larvae: stage in an animal's lifecycle after it hatches from the egg. Larvae are typically very different in appearance to adults; they are able to feed and move around but usually are unable to reproduce.
Ovipositor: egg-laying organ in female insects consisting of outgrowths of the abdomen (the hind region of the body in insects). The stinging organ and poison sac of worker bees and non-reproductive female wasps is a modified ovipositor.
Thorax: part of the body located near the head in animals. In insects, the three segments between the head and the abdomen, each of which has a pair of legs.

1. National Biodiversity Network Species Dictionary (March 2003):
   http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nbn
   
2. UK Safari (March 2003):
   http://www.uksafari.com/wasps.htm
   
3. Buczacki, S. (2002) Fauna Britannica. Hamlyn, London.
   
4. Common wasp (March 2003):
   http://www.keele.ac.uk/university/arboretum/articles/wasps.htm
   
5. Matthews, R. W., Goodisman, M.A.D., Austin, A.D. & Bashford, R. (2000) The introduced English wasp Vespula vulgaris (L.) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) newly recorded invading native forests in Tasmania. Australian Journal of Entomology 39: 177-179.
   
6. BBC Wildfacts: common wasp (March 2003):
   http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/427.shtml