Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
 

Register · Log In
HomeGuideID RequestRecentFrassForumsDonateHelp
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

Calendar
BugGuide Gathering
Pack Forest
Washington State
July 10-12, 2009
Details...

Photos from the 2009 gathering
 
Photos from the 2008 gathering in Tennessee
 
Photos from the 2007 gathering in Minnesota

TaxonomyBrowseInfoImagesLinksBooksData
Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Bees, Ants, and other Stinging Wasps » Ants, Stinging Wasps, and Hornets (Vespoidea) » Yellowjackets, Paper Wasps, and Hornets; Potter, Mason and Pollen Wasps (Vespidae) » Hornets and Yellowjackets (Vespinae) » Vespula » Prairie Yellowjacket (Vespula atropilosa)
Photo#244494
Prairie Yellowjacket - Vespula atropilosa - female
Copyright © 2008 Tim Loh

Prairie Yellowjacket - Vespula atropilosa - Female
Canmore Park, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
May 4, 2008
Size: 2.2 cm

Images of this individual: tag all
Prairie Yellowjacket - Vespula atropilosa - female Prairie Yellowjacket - Vespula atropilosa - female Prairie Yellowjacket - Vespula atropilosa - female
tag · login or register to post comments
Contributed by Tim Loh on 12 December, 2008 - 5:18pm
Last updated 12 December, 2008 - 11:39pm

Moved
Moved from German Yellowjacket.
… Tim Loh, 12 December, 2008 - 11:05pm login or register to post comments

OOPS! Prairie Yellowjacket (Vespula atropilosa)
Yellow scapi and slightly different color pattern of urotergites (especially on 1rst and 2nd ones) betray this Western relative of the Ground Hornet (V. vidua).
For sure, a more interesting finding than the ubiquitous V. germanica.
… Richard Vernier, 12 December, 2008 - 10:07pm login or register to post comments

 
interesting..
it didn't key out properly then...funny i didn't even realize i have something uncommon (and I have several specimens of it)...thanks for pointing that out!
… Tim Loh, 12 December, 2008 - 11:02pm login or register to post comments

 
and something else to add...
After going through all my suspected V germanica specimens collected throughout the summer, I'm surprised to note that virtually all of them are V. atropilosa..apparently they are quite common here (whereas hardly any V. germanica specimens are present, if at all). Which makes me wonder about the potential impact of the introduced V. germanica on native yellowjacket populations (where it has been found).
… Tim Loh, 12 December, 2008 - 11:52pm login or register to post comments

 
Great find!
Nice specimen too although I can't stand to see queens get killed for pinning...

Well this species has small colony size and is generally very non competitive compared to V. germanica. It may take a while, but once V. germanica gets into an area it will eventually establish itself.
… Vespula vulgaris, 18 December, 2008 - 7:44pm login or register to post comments

Comment viewing options
Select your preferred way to display the comments and click 'Save settings' to activate your changes.

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2010 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by Iowa State University Entomology.

Printer Friendly Version 		Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
Site Map
Contact