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Photo#24266
Vespula what? - Vespula pensylvanica - female

Vespula what? - Vespula pensylvanica - Female
Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, New Mexico, USA
April 21, 2005
Size: .75" - 1" or so.
Took the kids to the Rio Grande Zoo. They marvelled at the larger fauna; I found this worker wasp chewing wood from a post. First impression was a Sandhills hornet, but the pattern on the abdomen just doesn't seem right. Now I am informed it is a she, and she is a queen. I like that.

Western yellowjacket queen.
This is actually a queen of the western yellowjacket,Vespula pensylvanica. Workers are much smaller and do not have isolated spots on the abdomen.

 
Queen for a Day.
Excellent! Thanks for the heads up.

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