eastern yellowjacket

not listed

NNR - Unranked

not listed

Eastern yellowjacket is a medium-sized, predatory, social wasp. In eastern North America it is the most common yellowjacket. Adults are ½″ to⅝″ long. The stout body is slightly wider than the head.

There are two large compound eyes, one on each side of the head; and three small simple eyes (ocelli) at the top of the head between the compound eyes. The distance between the rear ocellus and the hind margin of the upper surface of the head (vertex) is no more than the diameter of one ocellus. The gap between the jaw (mandible) and the compound eye is narrow, no more than the diameter of one ocellus. The upper (dorsal) space between the compound eyes is entirely black—there is no yellow “eye loop”. There is a yellow band behind the compound eye. It is continuous to the mandible, not interrupted, not narrowed or notched in the middle. The face of the worker is yellow one black spot at the top, one in the center, and two smaller black spots below the center spot. On the face of the queen the top and center spots are joined into a single prominent spot. The face of the male has no spots.

The dorsal surface of the thorax (pronotum) is black with no stripes down the middle. A yellow band at the leading edge of the pronotum is interrupted at the apex (nearest to the head).

The antennae are long and black.

The abdomen of the female has six segments, while that of the male has seven segments. The upper plate (tergum) of each abdominal segment is yellow with black markings. The first tergum has a anchor-shaped basal mark that is at least twice as wide as long and a yellow hind (posterior) margin that is continuous, not broken by black in the middle. On workers and males there are no isolated black spots on tergum 2 through 5. The queen has isolated black spots on tergum 2 through 5 but also has the distinctive anchor-shaped mark on tergum 1.

The legs are yellow.

The wings are smoky and clear.

Total length: ½″ to ⅝″

Early May through October (CCESR)

Workers aggressively defend the nest. They are able to sting multiple times but the barbed stinger sometimes becomes detached in the victim.

In the spring a queen emerges from hibernation. In early summer she builds an embryonic nest. The papery nest is constructed from wood fibers, plant fibers, cocoon silk, and artificial fibers such as paper, chewed and cemented with saliva. It is usually built underground but may also be built in an stump or attic. It begins as a thin pedicel, a papery disk, and a few hexagonal cells. The queen deposits a single egg into each cell. When the eggs hatch she feeds the young and continues building cells and laying eggs. These first young become workers and take over the care of new young and the expansion of the nest. In late summer the queen begins producing males and new queens. Nest size peaks in August or September. In Minnesota the nests do not survive the winter. Old queens, males, and workers are killed by cold weather in the fall. New queens mate in the fall and then hibernate.

Pre-chewed fragments of caterpillars, other soft-bodied insects, and occasionally carrion.

Plant nectar and the juices of ripe fruit.

Sources

24, 27, 29, 30, 82.

Common and abundant

These bees are eager to take a drink of water when I put out fresh in the afternoon.

Location: Linwood, MN

large underground yellowjacket nest

Location: Albany, NY

Location: Albany, NY

Location: Cass County

These bees are eager to take a drink of water when I put out fresh in the afternoon.

Location: Woodbury, MN

Location: Woodbury, MN

Location: Woodbury, MN