Dolichovespula arenaria
| Dolichovespula arenaria | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Suborder: | Apocrita |
| Family: | Vespidae |
| Genus: | Dolichovespula |
| Species: | D. arenaria |
| Binomial name | |
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Dolichovespula arenaria (Fabricius, 1775) |
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Dolichovespula arenaria, also known as the common aerial yellowjacket, sandhills hornet, and common yellow hornet, is a species of wasps within the Dolichovespula genus widely distributed in the North American continent.
The Dolichovespula genus falls under the family of Vespidae, which identifies wasps. Wasps, including D. arenaria, fall under the order of Hymenoptera, making wasps relatives of ants, bees, and sawflies, which fall under this same order. The yellowjackets are divided into ground-nesting and aerial nesting genera, Vespula and Dolichovespula respectively. Within the Dolichovespula genus, there are eighteen species, including D. arenaria and other species such as D. albida, D. alpicola, Dolichovespula saxonica, and D. maculata.
D. arenaria can be identified by the medially interrupted or incised apical fasciae of terga 1 and 2. They are yellow in color and can be differentiated by the other yellow-colored wasps, D. adulterina, in its genus by the lack of black markings in the ocular sinus. In the majority of the population the ocular sinus is yellow, but some melanic males have a black area that reaches the lower margin of sinus. The queen has large black discal spots on terga 4 and 5, and smaller ones on terga 2 and 3. Males have spots on their basal band on terga 4 and 5. Nest size ranges from 1-6 combs, and are made out of dull grey paper.
The common aerial yellowjacket lives across Canada and the United States. They occur from north central Alaska to as far south as New Mexico and Arizona. D. arenaria are in fact one of the most common aerial yellowjackets found in eastern North America. D. arenaria lives in arboreal to subterranean habitats. Their nests are made from paper-like material and are usually found in trees and shrubs. In urban settings, their nests are frequently found on buildings.
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Wikipedia