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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#375860
Western Yellowjacket, Nectaring - Vespula pensylvanica - female
Copyright © 2010 Ron Hemberger

Western Yellowjacket, Nectaring - Vespula pensylvanica - Female
Fullerton Arboretum, Fullerton, Orange County, California, USA
March 9, 2010
We have few images of these on flowers. This and several others were observed taking nectar from the outside/back of these red flowers.

Images of this individual: tag all
Western Yellowjacket, Nectaring - Vespula pensylvanica - female Western Yellowjacket, Nectaring - Vespula pensylvanica - female Western Yellowjacket, Nectaring - Vespula pensylvanica - female Western Yellowjacket, Nectaring - Vespula pensylvanica - female
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Contributed by Ron Hemberger on 9 March, 2010 - 9:07pm
Last updated 9 March, 2010 - 11:06pm

A smallish spring queen
With a color pattern rather like that of a worker (namely the "unfree" lateral black spots on terga III-V). Reminds me of similar individual occuring in V. germanica.
… Richard Vernier, 9 March, 2010 - 10:24pm login or register to post comments

 
Quite interesting. Thank you, Richard.
I thought it an ordinary worker and will now sift through my Recycle bin to see if I have other images to post.
… Ron Hemberger, 9 March, 2010 - 10:38pm login or register to post comments

 
Oops! YOU were right and I was wrong
This is indeed an "ordinary" worker. A queen, however small, wouldn't have such large yellow spots on her propodaeum. I always forget the - very - mild climate of Southern California, that allows Yellowjacket colonies to start so early that workers are already on the wing by early March.
… Richard Vernier, 10 March, 2010 - 4:56pm login or register to post comments

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