Vespula sulphurea

(de Saussure, 1854)

California yellowjacket

Vespula sulphurea, the California yellowjacket, is a social native to the southwestern United States and adjacent Mexico. It builds underground nests with documented reaching approximately 1,100 individuals. The occupies the Upper Sonoran life zone and surrounding regions, functioning as both and in its .

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Vespula sulphurea: /vɛsˈpuː.la sʌlˈfjʊə.rɪə/

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Habitat

Nests are constructed underground, typically in pre-existing cavities such as abandoned rodent burrows. The occurs in the Upper Sonoran Fauna of California, extending into adjacent arid and semi-arid regions of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico.

Distribution

Documented from California (Upper Sonoran zone), southern Oregon, western Nevada, southern Arizona, and northern Baja California, Mexico.

Diet

Forages on live prey including soft-bodied insects. Has been observed feeding on and pollinating fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), California figwort (Scrophularia californica), and chaparral broom (Baccharis pilularis).

Life Cycle

colony cycle with underground nests. Maximum recorded count is 1,100 individuals, indicating moderate colony size compared to some .

Ecological Role

Functions as a of pest insects and contributes to pollination of flowering plants. Serves as prey for the California scrub jay (Aphelocoma californica) and lynx spiders in the Peucetia.

Similar Taxa

Vespula pensylvanicaWestern yellowjacket; differs in broader distribution across western North America and typically larger colony sizes (up to 100,000 in nests). V. sulphurea is restricted to the southwestern region and has smaller documented colonies.
Vespula germanicaGerman yellowjacket; introduced in North America with tendency to nest in building voids, especially during initial invasion phase. V. sulphurea is native and primarily ground-nesting.

More Details

Colony size

The maximum documented count of 1,100 is notably smaller than colonies of some related , suggesting V. sulphurea may be less prone to developing the large colonies observed in milder coastal climates.