Western-us-distribution

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-host-worker-exclusiveno-parasite-brood-careno-parasite-foraging-behaviorno-parasite-nest-buildingno-parasite-larval-feedingno-parasite-thermoregulation-fanningno-parasite-warming-posturesenemy-attack-parasite-remains-insideno-parasite-nest-defensereproductive-suppression-evidence-multipleworker-oogenesis-halt-substancesoviposition-site-patrollingaggression-reduced-with-suppressionreproductive-monopoly-assertionevolutionary-favorable-strategy-older-worker-eliminationyounger-worker-retention-brood-caredominance-display-early-occupationdominance-display-absent-latermauling-post-trophallaxissolicitation-chasing-initiationrare-foraging-observationno-cell-building-observationno-larval-feeding-observationno-thermoregulation-assistance-observationinternal-nest-retention-enemy-attackworker-oviposition-absence-parasitized-nestsaggression-reduction-expectation-contrastmauling-behavior-reduction-indicationfrequent-aggression-reproductive-monopolycell-patrol-oviposition-defenseDufour's-gland-oogenesis-preventionsubstance-release-gastral-draggingeffective-worker-reproduction-haltnormal-worker-oviposition-aggression-absentparasite-behavior-evidence-synthesismorphological-adaptation-summarybehavioral-adaptation-summaryecological-interaction-summarytaxonomic-history-summarydistribution-range-summaryseasonal-activity-summarylife-history-summaryhuman-interaction-nullconservation-status-stableresearch-needs-Dufour's-gland-hypertrophyresearch-needs-venom-compositionresearch-needs-population-impactfield-guide-coverage-Kratzer-2020observation-platform-iNaturalist-76-recordstaxonomic-authority-GBIF-acceptedoriginal-description-Saussure-1854modern-revision-Kimsey-Carpenter-2012literature-update-lag-pre-2012-sourcessister-species-austriaca-distinctionmorphological-convergence-austriacabiological-convergence-austriacageographic-separation-Nearctic-Palearctichost-specificity-acadica-primaryhost-range-potential-other-Vespulainvasion-timing-queen-reared-worker-stageinvasion-vulnerability-host-nest-stagepost-emergence-colony-stage-alternativehost-defense-worker-aggression-variationhost-queen-aggression-variationparasite-success-factors-morphologicalparasite-success-factors-behavioralparasite-success-factors-timingcolony-takeover-mechanism-physical-combatcolony-takeover-mechanism-chemical-dominancecolony-maintenance-mechanism-behavioral-suppressioncolony-maintenance-mechanism-reproductive-monopolyenergetic-strategy-forced-feedingenergetic-strategy-minimal-investmentreproductive-strategy-egg-placement-variationreproductive-strategy-brief-oviposition-windowdevelopmental-strategy-host-worker-dependencysocial-structure-absence-worker-castesocial-structure-queen-only-parasitesocial-structure-host-worker-exploitationevolutionary-context-inquiline-specializationevolutionary-context-parasitic-wasp-diversityevolutionary-context-Vespula-radiationecological-context-boreal-forest-communityecological-context-host-parasite-dynamicsecological-context-colony-size-impactmanagement-context-nest-avoidancemanagement-context-professional-controlmanagement-context-safety-precautionspublic-health-sting-avoidancepublic-health-allergic-responsepublic-health-venom-toxicityeducation-context-species-recognitioneducation-context-literature-awarenesseducation-context-taxonomic-updates