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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Bees, Ants, and other Stinging Wasps » Vespoidea » Yellowjackets, Paper Wasps, and Hornets; Potter, Mason and Pollen Wasps (Vespidae) » Hornets and Yellowjackets (Vespinae) » Vespula » Western Yellowjacket (Vespula pensylvanica)
Photo#118501
Yellow Jacket - Probably Vespula pensylvanica - Vespula pensylvanica
Copyright © 2007 HandsOff

Yellow Jacket - Probably Vespula pensylvanica - Vespula pensylvanica
Sunnyvale, Santa Clara County, California, USA
June 8, 2007
It looks a lot like the V. pensylvanica that is in the guide, one striking difference is that the dots are connected to the bands. Same species?

Images of this individual: tag all
Yellow Jacket - Probably Vespula pensylvanica - Vespula pensylvanica Yellow Jacket - Probably Vespula pensylvanica - Vespula pensylvanica Yellow Jacket - Probably Vespula pensylvanica - Vespula pensylvanica
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Contributed by HandsOff on 15 June, 2007 - 6:49pm
Last updated 21 June, 2007 - 3:15pm

yup
That's what it is. They can vary somewhat in the degree of xanthism vs. melanism.
… Ben Coulter, 15 June, 2007 - 8:03pm login or register to post comments

 
That explains it!
That's interesting - Maybe diet related, I suppose. Thanks for the help!
… HandsOff, 15 June, 2007 - 10:34pm login or register to post comments

 
Most likely temperature related
And more precisely, during pupal stage. Warmer temperatures tend to produce yellower adults. But, in Yellojackets, color pattern is also CASTE related. You'll notice that most V. pensylvanica QUEENS have free black spots, except sometimes on 2nd urotergite. By contrast, most WORKERS - like this one - have them connected to the black basal bands, except sometimes on 2nd and 4th urotergites.
… Richard Vernier, 16 June, 2007 - 2:41am login or register to post comments

 
Interesting stuff!
BTW, The object that is holding its attention is a McDonald's food carton that drew it like a magnet. It knew exactly where the food was!
… HandsOff, 18 June, 2007 - 9:28am login or register to post comments

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