Vespula possibly acadica found dead - Vespula acadica

HomeGuideID RequestRecentFrassForumsDonateHelp

Clickable Guide

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Registration is open for the 2024 BugGuide gathering in Idaho July 24-27

Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2023

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Photos of insects and people from the 2019 gathering in Louisiana, July 25-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2018 gathering in Virginia, July 27-29

Previous events

TaxonomyBrowseInfoImagesLinksBooksData

Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Vespoidea » Vespidae » Hornets and Yellowjackets (Vespinae) » Ground Yellowjackets (Vespula) » Forest Yellowjacket (Vespula acadica)

Photo#1189652

Copyright © 2016 Lynn Monroe

Vespula possibly acadica found dead - Vespula acadica -

6 miles NW Lyons, Boulder County, Colorado, USA
June 18, 1995
Size: BL ~ 15 mm

This yellowjacket was found dead in our house in the CO foothills at ~6400' elevation. Because of the two yellow spots and Tergum 2 and the interrupted yellow genal band, my best guess is Vespula acadica. I think it is a female. Any help with its ID is much appreciated.

March 1. Bugguide #116788 (V. infernalis) seems to have the identical abdominal pattern to my image. I checked the Kimsey & Carpenter key. V. infernalis has long black hairs on hind tibiae. Since I have the specimen, I checked the hind legs. The black/yellow femora have the black area covered with very long black hairs. The tibiae are yellow but I see maybe three or four black hairs on one of them, longish but not at all like the femora hairs. The face image looks much more like V. acadica.

Images of this individual: tag all

Vespula possibly acadica found dead - Vespula acadica - female

tag · login or register to post comments

Contributed by Lynn Monroe on 8 February, 2016 - 2:36pm
Last updated 21 April, 2023 - 8:51pm

Moved

Moved from Hornets and Yellowjackets.

… Matthias Buck, 23 December, 2016 - 10:30am

Vespula acadica

Thanks so much for the ID and for moving this queen. All your help is always much appreciated.

… Lynn Monroe, 23 December, 2016 - 11:20am

I am certain that this wasp is a queen of Vespula acadica

The clypeal angles are not projecting, and the clypeal pattern (black anchor shaped mark) fits that of V. acadica. In V. infernalis the clypeal pattern is reduced to a single spot or a few obscure spots.

… Anthony Daglio, 1 June, 2016 - 7:59pm

Vespula acadica queen

Thanks so much for this information. It is most useful.

… Lynn Monroe, 2 June, 2016 - 8:41am

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 © 2003-2024 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Printer Friendly Version