Paper-nest-builders
Guides
Dolichovespula
Aerial Yellowjackets, yellowjackets
Dolichovespula is a genus of social wasps in the family Vespidae, commonly known as aerial yellowjackets. These wasps build exposed paper nests in trees, shrubs, or under building overhangs rather than underground. The genus includes approximately 20 species distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, with notable members including the baldfaced hornet (D. maculata) and the aerial yellowjacket (D. arenaria). Some species, such as D. arctica, are social parasites that lack a worker caste and infiltrate nests of other Dolichovespula species to exploit their workforce.