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Guides

• Vespula infernalis

  cuckoo yellowjacket, American cuckoo yellowjacket

  Vespula infernalis is an obligate social parasite (inquiline) that invades and usurps colonies of other yellowjacket species, primarily Vespula acadica in North America. Unlike most parasitic wasps, it exhibits intensely aggressive behavior during colony takeover, using specialized morphological adaptations including a large, heavily curved stinger to subdue host workers. The species lacks a worker caste and cannot build nests or rear its own young, instead forcing host workers to feed and care for its brood through dominance behaviors including mauling and forced trophallaxis.

  social-parasiteinquilinecuckoo-waspyellowjacketaggressive-parasitismVespulaHymenopteraNearcticboreal-forestVespula-acadicaforced-trophallaxismauling-behaviorcurved-stingerno-worker-casteobligate-parasitismDufour's-glandoogenesis-suppressionfourth-mandibular-toothKimsey-&-Carpenter-2012Vespula-austriaca-sister-speciesshort-flight-seasonJune-to-SeptemberCanadaUnited-StatesAlaskaNew-JerseyMichiganWisconsinNorth-DakotaNew-MexicoArizonaCaliforniastable-populationsubterranean-nestshost-queen-usurpationhost-worker-manipulationreproductive-monopolyvenom-paralyzes-hostsminimal-foragingno-nest-constructionno-thermoregulation-behavioregg-laying-on-comb-exteriorautumn-queen-productionlonger-hibernation-than-hostspreusurpation-phasequeen-reared-worker-stage-invasionpost-emergence-colony-stage-invasionpatrol-behaviorcell-inspectiondominance-assertionevolutionary-strategy-kill-older-workers-firstworker-oviposition-suppressiongastral-draggingoophagy-absenttrophallaxis-solicitationforced-feeding-1-43-secondsvenom-LD50-20-30-mg/kg-workersvenom-LD50-81-mg/kg-queensvenom-not-more-lethal-than-non-parasitic-congenersDufour's-gland-hypertrophyclear-oily-gland-materialreproductive-organs-include-ovaries-poison-gland-Dufour's-glandnew-fall-wasps-empty-glandolder-wasps-flat-gland-with-little-oiloviposition-interrupted-by-workersmauling-response-to-interruption2012-species-recognitionpre-2012-literature-as-V.-austriacaNearctic-endemicboreal-region-specialisthost-nest-size-reductionecosystem-impact-through-host-suppressionChris-Alice-Kratzer-The-Social-Wasps-of-North-AmericaiNaturalist-observationsGBIF-accepted-taxonomyde-Saussure-1854-original-descriptionKimsey-Carpenter-2012-revisionVespidae-familyHymenoptera-orderInsecta-classArthropoda-phylumAnimalia-kingdomspecies-rankcuckoo-yellowjacket-common-nameAmerican-cuckoo-yellowjacket-alternative-name76-iNaturalist-observationsstable-conservation-statusnot-rare-throughout-rangeall-Canadian-provinces-territorieswestern-US-distributioneastern-US-distributionsubterranean-host-nestsrotting-stump-host-nestsenclosed-space-host-nestsqueen-paralysis-during-usurpationworker-injury-during-invasionantennal-damageleg-damagehost-queen-mandible-restrainthost-worker-mandible-defensealarm-pheromone-contextmultiple-stings-limitedbarbed-stinger-presentstinger-loss-during-attackfatal-attack-sacrificevenom-evolution-vertebrate-painSchmidt-Sting-Pain-Index-not-ratedice-treatment-for-stingsallergic-reaction-medical-attentiondesensitization-therapy-availablepest-control-commercial-operatorsaerosol-spray-evening-applicationnest-avoidance-recommendednest-elimination-if-threateningclear-bottles-drink-safetydrink-boxes-straws-childrenpicnic-trash-container-avoidancefood-covering-recruitment-reductiongentle-brushing-vs-swattingalarm-pheromone-releasechemical-attack-signalwalking-away-escape-strategybush-walking-evasion-tacticlate-summer-autumn-aggressioncolony-size-thousands-workersfootball-size-nestsperennial-nests-southern-statesVolkswagen-Beetle-nest-reportsmultiple-queens-perennial-coloniesHawaiian-invasive-V.-pensylvanica-contextGerman-yellowjacket-V.-germanica-contextEastern-yellowjacket-V.-maculifrons-contextSouthern-yellowjacket-V.-squamosa-contextWestern-yellowjacket-V.-pensylvanica-contextpaper-wasp-Polistes-dominula-contextEuropean-paper-wasp-introducedWestern-yellowjacket-not-Pennsylvaniaspecies-name-mislabel-originyellowjacket-diversity-208-species22-genera-social-wasps900-color-illustrations-field-guideiNaturalist-community-science-platformCornell-University-Insect-Collection-researchtaxonomic-paper-readinggenetic-barcode-software-alignment1000-hours-iNaturalist-observationsOwlfly-LLC-publishingmechanical-engineering-backgroundclimate-change-mitigation-focusnatural-pest-control-ecosystem-servicepollination-ecosystem-servicecaterpillar-prey-primary-foodgrasshopper-cricket-katydid-moth-butterfly-beetle-fly-earthworm-lanternfly-cockroach-smaller-wasp-small-spider-cicada-preytiny-waist-liquid-feeding-constraintmandible-prey-dismembermentlarval-secretion-dependency-other-queensV.-infernalis-liquid-food-dependencyhost-worker-secretion-solicitationminimal-larval-solicitationforceful-feeding-foreleg-grabbingcomb-pushing-aggressive-feedingtrophallaxis-intensity-decline-later-stagesworker-escape-forced-encountersshort-trophallaxis-1-5-secondslong-trophallaxis-43-secondsvenom-apparatus-shaft-aculeus-Dufour's-gland-venom-glandsvenom-reservoir-size-largest-femalesDufour's-gland-size-largest-femalesoily-venom-extraction-experimentV.-pensylvanica-worker-venom-testV.-pensylvanica-queen-venom-testvenom-paralysis-flying-impairmentvenom-third-supply-worker-killvenom-queen-kill-more-requiredvenom-lethality-comparable-non-parasitesDufour's-gland-material-no-poisonreproductive-organ-complexpreusurpation-gland-clear-oilynew-fall-wasp-gland-empty-flatolder-wasp-gland-flat-little-oilhypertrophy-evidence-neededoviposition-brief-periodegg-placement-varied-locationsworker-interruption-rare-instanceegg-loss-from-cellbrood-care-ho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