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Genus Vespula - Ground Yellowjackets

Eastern Yellowjacket - Vespula maculifrons - female

First pupae - Vespula maculifrons

Vespula consobrina - female

Yellowjacket Wasp - Vespula consobrina

Vespula - Vespula maculifrons

Vespula squamosa? Queen maybe - Vespula squamosa

blackjacket? - Vespula consobrina - male

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)

No Taxon (Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps)

Superfamily Vespoidea

Family Vespidae

Subfamily Vespinae (Hornets and Yellowjackets)

Genus Vespula (Ground Yellowjackets)

Explanation of Names

Vespula Thomson 1869

Numbers

13 spp. (incl. one exotic) in our area, 26 total(1)

Identification

Overview of genus

The oculo-malar space shorter than in Dolichoespula:

vs

Overview of species

Keys to species by Thomas (2005, unpublished)(2) and Buck et al. (2008).(1)

rufa-group

V. acadica

Queen (♀♀) Worker (♀) Male (♂)

V. atropilosa

Queen (♀♀) Worker (♀) Male (♂)

V. consobrina

Queen (♀♀) Worker (♀) Male (♂)

V. infernalis

[No image]

Queen (♀♀) Male (♂)

V. intermedia

Queen (♀♀) Worker (♀) Male (♂)

V. vidua

Queen (♀♀) Worker (♀) Male (♂)

squamosa-group

V. squamosa

Queen (♀♀) Worker (♀) Male (♂)

V. sulphurea

Queen (♀♀) Worker (♀) Male (♂)

vulgaris-group

V. alascensis

Queen (♀♀) Worker (♀) Male (♂)

V. flavopilosa

Queen (♀♀) Worker (♀) Male (♂)

V. germanica

Queen (♀♀) Worker (♀) Male (♂)

V. maculifrons

Queen (♀♀) Worker (♀) Male (♂)

V. pensylvanica

Queen (♀♀) Worker (♀) Male (♂)

Life Cycle

Nests are typically subterranean:

V. alascensis V. consobrina V. flavopilosa V. germanica

V. maculifrons V. pensylvanica V. squamosa

Internet References

Fact sheet (Grissell & Fasulo 2013)(3)

Works Cited

1.	Identification Atlas of the Vespidae (Hymenoptera, Aculeata) of the Northeastern Nearctic Region Matthias Buck, Stephen A. Marshall, and David K. B. Cheung. 2008. Biological Survey of Canada [Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification].

2.	YELLOWJACKETS & HORNETS THROUGH A LENS

3.	University of Florida: Featured Creatures

Contributed by Troy Bartlett on 16 February, 2004 - 12:32pm
Additional contributions by john and jane balaban, Beatriz Moisset, Tony-2, Matthias Buck, Ben Coulter, Nick Block, Vespula vulgaris, v belov, Kyhl Austin, PaleoJon
Last updated 20 October, 2024 - 11:24pm

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