2 replies to this topic

[Connectimyrmex]

Here's some information on how to ID eastern Yellow Jackets:

Workers:
V. germanica: Has several stripes that end with a pentagon-shaped point, with small black dots around them.

V. pensylvanica: Same as germanica, but with no black dots.

V. maculifrons: Has several stripes that end with a sharp point. There are no black dots.

 

Males

V. germanica: Has several striped that end with a pentagon-shaped point, with small black dots around them. Has a distinct "bowling ball hole" pattern on the front of the head. Has long antennae. Fairly furry.

V. pensylvanica: Same as germanica except for without the bowling-spots and the abdomen spots.

V. maculifrons: Same as the worker but has long antennae.

 

Queens

V. germanica: Has short, clubbed antennae with distinct stripes and spots. Bowling ball pattern on head. Abdomen has an orangeish hue.

V. pensylvanica: Same as maculifrons but with pentagon-shaped stripes. Has orangeish hue.

V. maculifrons: Has a more distinct orangeish-abdomen hue. Otherwise same as germanica, but without the bowling spots.

Edited by Connectimyrmex, October 23 2017 - 4:22 PM.

[VoidElecent]

This is a cool idea! Bracc. and I were just looking into this, we seem to have several yellow jacket nests in our front yard and I'm interested in identifying them.

 

It may help to include the genus name somewhere in the thread, which I believe is Vespula.

 

Isn't Vespula pennsylvanica also common in temperate regions?

Edited by VoidElecent, October 23 2017 - 4:03 PM.

[Connectimyrmex]

Oops, I confused V. vulgaris and V. pennsylvanica! sorry!
V. maculifrons is more common in the eastern US, while V. pensylvanica is more common in the western US.