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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Vespoidea » Hornets, Yellowjackets; Paper, Potter, Mason, and Pollen Wasps; and Allies (Vespidae) » Hornets and Yellowjackets (Vespinae) » Ground Yellowjackets (Vespula) » Western Yellowjacket (Vespula pensylvanica)
Photo#1627416
Queen. - Vespula pensylvanica - female
Copyright © 2019 Arthur Scott Macmillan

Queen. - Vespula pensylvanica - Female
Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz County, California, USA
January 7, 2019
Size: ~14mm

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Queen. - Vespula pensylvanica - female Queen. - Vespula pensylvanica - female
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Contributed by Arthur Scott Macmillan on 15 January, 2019 - 10:48pm
Last updated 21 January, 2019 - 3:50pm

Moved
Moved from Vespula.
… Vespula Vulgaris, 20 January, 2019 - 5:11pm login or register to post comments

 
Thanks Vv. I think the differences are...
The yellow goes completely around the eyes in V. pensylvanica. Probably the black bands have better defined shapes too, but the eyes are diagnostic. I mention this for the benefit of other Californians because we have so few choices that it should not be hard to identify yellow jackets here!

Judging from the very large size, I am guessing that my recent V. alascensis was also a queen from another realm:

… Arthur Scott Macmillan, 21 January, 2019 - 4:37pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Hornets and Yellowjackets.
… Arthur Scott Macmillan, 15 January, 2019 - 11:51pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from ID Request.
… Ken Wolgemuth, 15 January, 2019 - 11:39pm login or register to post comments

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