Yellowjacket

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Dolichovespula albida
Arctic Yellowjacket
Dolichovespula albida, commonly known as the Arctic Yellowjacket, is a social wasp species in the family Vespidae. It is closely related to other Dolichovespula species such as D. arctica and D. arenaria, with which it shares ecological and behavioral traits. The species is primarily associated with northern and high-elevation habitats. Like other members of its genus, it constructs paper nests and exhibits social colony behavior with distinct castes.
social-wasp yellowjacket arctic high-elevation coniferous-forest Dolichovespula Vespidae Hymenoptera northern-distribution paper-nest
Dolichovespula arctica
Parasitic Aerial Yellowjacket
Dolichovespula arctica is a social parasitic wasp that lacks a worker caste, consisting only of reproductive females and males. It infiltrates established colonies of its primary host, Dolichovespula arenaria (Aerial Yellowjacket), and exploits the host's worker force to raise its own offspring. The species is rarely observed despite being fairly common across northern North America.
social-parasite yellowjacket vespid hymenoptera north-america montane coniferous-forest
Dolichovespula maculata
Bald-faced Hornet, Bald Hornet, White-faced Hornet, White-tailed Hornet, Spruce Wasp, Blackjacket, Bull Wasp
Dolichovespula maculata is a social wasp native to North America, commonly known as the bald-faced hornet despite being a yellowjacket rather than a true hornet (genus Vespa). It constructs large, enclosed paper nests suspended from branches or structures, with colonies reaching 400–700 workers—the largest recorded in its genus. The species is immediately recognizable by its black body with white facial markings and white banding at the abdomen tip. Workers are aggressively defensive of their nests and can spray venom toward intruders.
social-wasp yellowjacket aerial-nester paper-nest predator defensive annual-colony North-America
Polistes dominula
European Paper Wasp
Polistes dominula is a highly successful invasive social wasp native to Eurasia that has established populations across North America, South America, New Zealand, South Africa, and other regions. First detected in North America near Boston in 1978, it has become one of the most abundant wasps on the continent. The species builds small, exposed paper nests in protected locations and preys primarily on live insects, particularly caterpillars. Unlike yellowjackets, it does not scavenge for meat or sugar. Its rapid spread has been attributed to ecological flexibility, superior competitive ability, and tolerance of human-altered environments.
invasive-species social-wasp paper-wasp predator pollinator urban-ecology eusocial nest-construction biological-control thermal-biology spatial-learning vibrational-communication aposematism honest-signal overwintering diapause Polistes Vespidae Hymenoptera North-America Europe New-Zealand South-Africa South-America monarch-butterfly caterpillar-predation nest-architecture gyne foundress dominance-hierarchy climate-change-impact energetics metabolic-rate microclimate suburban-habitat anthropogenic ornamental-pest vineyard-pest fruit-damage stinging-insect venom poison-gland warning-coloration Zahavian-signal Strepsiptera parasitoid Xenos behavioral-plasticity foraging learning memory thermoregulation ectothermy endothermy solar-radiation nest-temperature brood-development colony-survival multiple-founding single-founding season-length latitude temperate Mediterranean hibernacle overwintering-costs climate-warming range-expansion competition native-species-displacement 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Vespula acadica
Forest Yellowjacket
Vespula acadica is a North American eusocial wasp in the Vespula rufa group, commonly known as the forest yellowjacket. It is distinguished by its preference for forested habitats and arboreal nesting sites, typically building nests in decaying vegetation such as logs and leaf piles rather than in human structures. The species exhibits relatively small colony sizes compared to other yellowjackets, with annual nests containing 75–400 workers. While generally avoiding human contact due to its habitat preferences, workers can be aggressive and persistent when colonies are disturbed, delivering repeated stings.
yellowjacket forest-wasp social-wasp Vespula-rufa-group arboreal-nester live-prey-specialist
Vespula alascensis
Alaska yellowjacket, American yellowjacket
Vespula alascensis is a social wasp native to North America, recognized as a distinct species in 2010 after being treated as a taxonomic synonym of Vespula vulgaris for over a century. It belongs to the 'vulgaris group' of yellowjackets, characterized by scavenging behavior and ground-nesting habits. The species is known to occur across northern and western regions of the continent, with confirmed records from Vermont to Hawaii.
social-wasp yellowjacket ground-nesting scavenger pest-species vulgaris-group
Vespula atropilosa
Prairie Yellowjacket
Vespula atropilosa, the prairie yellowjacket, is a social wasp native to western North America. It forms annual underground colonies in prairie and grassland habitats, typically nesting in abandoned rodent burrows. Unlike scavenging yellowjackets, it is strictly predatory, hunting live insects to feed its larvae. The species exhibits male color polymorphism with xanthic (yellow) and melanic (black) abdominal variants.
social-wasp yellowjacket predator subterranean-nest prairie grassland annual-colony male-dimorphism
Vespula flavopilosa
Downy Yellowjacket
Vespula flavopilosa, commonly known as the downy yellowjacket, is a species of social wasp native to North America. It belongs to the genus Vespula, which includes other well-known yellowjacket species. The species was described by Jakobson in 1978. Like other yellowjackets, it is a social wasp that builds paper nests and exhibits colonial behavior typical of the genus.
yellowjacket social-wasp North-America
Vespula germanica
German yellowjacket, European wasp, German wasp
Vespula germanica is a highly invasive social wasp native to Europe, Northern Africa, and temperate Asia that has established populations across much of the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere, including North America, South America, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. It is one of the most successful invasive wasp species globally, characterized by exceptional cognitive flexibility, opportunistic foraging behavior, and adaptability to diverse environments. The species exhibits complex social organization with annual colonies founded by single queens, though perennial colonies occur in favorable climates. Its invasive success is attributed to flexible nesting habits, broad dietary range, and efficient resource exploitation, though human-aided transport of hibernating queens significantly contributes to long-distance dispersal.
invasive-species yellowjacket social-wasp pest pollinator predator scavenger cavity-nester Vespidae Hymenoptera
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-parasite inquiline cuckoo-wasp yellowjacket aggressive-parasitism Vespula Hymenoptera Nearctic boreal-forest Vespula-acadica forced-trophallaxis mauling-behavior curved-stinger no-worker-caste obligate-parasitism Dufour's-gland oogenesis-suppression fourth-mandibular-tooth Kimsey-&-Carpenter-2012 Vespula-austriaca-sister-species short-flight-season June-to-September Canada United-States Alaska New-Jersey Michigan Wisconsin North-Dakota New-Mexico Arizona California stable-population subterranean-nests host-queen-usurpation host-worker-manipulation reproductive-monopoly venom-paralyzes-hosts minimal-foraging no-nest-construction no-thermoregulation-behavior egg-laying-on-comb-exterior autumn-queen-production longer-hibernation-than-hosts preusurpation-phase queen-reared-worker-stage-invasion post-emergence-colony-stage-invasion patrol-behavior cell-inspection dominance-assertion evolutionary-strategy-kill-older-workers-first worker-oviposition-suppression gastral-dragging 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Vespula intermedia
Northern Red-banded Yellowjacket, American red-banded yellowjacket
Vespula intermedia is a rare social wasp species in the family Vespidae, described by Robert du Buysson in 1905. Its taxonomic status remains uncertain; it was previously listed as a synonym of Vespula rufa, but entomologists are divided on this classification. The species is native to northern regions of North America, with records from northern Canada, Maine, and Alaska. It is poorly known compared to more common yellowjacket species, with only 47 observations documented on iNaturalist as of the source date.
social-wasp yellowjacket rare-species taxonomic-uncertainty northern-distribution
Vespula maculifrons
Eastern yellowjacket, Eastern yellow jacket
Vespula maculifrons is a social wasp native to eastern North America, commonly known as the Eastern yellowjacket. It is among the most aggressive stinging insects in its range, known for vigorously defending nests and delivering painful stings with minimal provocation. Colonies are typically founded by a single queen in spring and can grow to contain thousands of workers by late summer. The species is polyandrous, with females mating with multiple males, and exhibits cooperative colony dynamics without significant reproductive conflict among patrilines.
social-wasp yellowjacket aggressive ground-nesting predator pest stinging-insect eastern-North-America polyandry annual-colony alarm-pheromone Vespinae
Vespula squamosa
southern yellowjacket
Vespula squamosa, the southern yellowjacket, is a social wasp native to eastern North America, ranging from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic coast and south through Mexico to Guatemala. The species exhibits remarkable social plasticity: most colonies are annual and headed by a single queen, but in warmer climates colonies may become perennial, persisting multiple years and reaching extreme sizes with multiple reproductive queens (polygyny). Approximately 85% of colonies begin through facultative social parasitism, with V. squamosa queens usurping nests of V. maculifrons (eastern yellowjacket) or V. vidua (widow yellowjacket). Workers are approximately 13 mm long with black and yellow striping; queens are larger and more orange in coloration. The species is expanding its range northward and is now common in the Mid-Atlantic region.
social-wasp yellowjacket social-parasite polygyny perennial-colony range-expansion stinging-insect pest-species Vespidae Hymenoptera facultative-parasitism alarm-pheromone queen-polymorphism climate-change-response
Vespula vidua
widow yellowjacket, long yellowjacket
Vespula vidua is a species of social wasp in the family Vespidae, commonly known as the widow yellowjacket or long yellowjacket. It is native to North America and exhibits typical yellowjacket biology with annual colonies founded by overwintering queens. Unlike some urban-adapted yellowjacket species, V. vidua is strictly predatory and does not scavenge at human food sources. The species is known to be a host for the facultative social parasite Vespula squamosa (Southern Yellowjacket), which can usurp its nests.
social-wasp yellowjacket predatory underground-nester host-for-social-parasite non-scavenger