Vespula acadica
| Forest Yellowjacket | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Euarthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Vespidae |
| Genus: | Vespula |
| Species: | V. acadica |
| Binomial name | |
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Vespula acadica (Sladen 1918) |
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Vespula acadica, also known as the Forest Yellowjacket, is a North American species of eusocial wasp which is part of the "rufa" group within the genus Vespula. It is a black and yellow wasp that is found in arboreal areas and builds its nests most often in decaying vegetation like logs, but has occasionally been found to build aerial nests. Due to its preference for forests V. acadica does not normally come into contact with humans; however, when colonies are disturbed, workers of this yellowjacket may be quite aggressive and persistent and sting repeatedly.
V. acadica belongs to the genus of Vespula which includes numerous species of social wasps. The wasps within the Vespula genus are found throughout the Northern Hemisphere and are commonly referred to as Yellow Jackets in North America. Vespula wasps are commonly mistaken for other genera, most often the paper wasps of the genus Polistes.V. acadica is considered to be a member of the Vespula rufa group and is most closely related to other members of the group, including Vespula consobrina and Vespula atropilosa.
V. acadica is black with yellow markings and ranges from 10-15mm in length. The underside of its scape is yellow, rather than completely black. It is very similar in appearance to V. atropilosa but the apex of the middle black region of the second gastral segment is pointed; whereas it is rounded in V. atropilosa.
V. acadica is distributed throughout Boreal North America. Its range stretches from Alaska down the West Coast to southern California, and into the southwest United States. In the east it has a more northerly distribution through the Great Lakes, and also to the east coast as far south as the Carolinas.
The V. acadica colony consists of morphologically distinct queens and workers. They form annual nests which are governed by a single queen. Colony behavior in V. acadica closely resembles that of other members of the V. rufa group. Most colonies of V. acadica that have been observed are relatively small, containing 75-400 workers and 3-4 combs, and contain a nest with only one worker-rearing comb. Colonies are characterized by short duration, foraging of live prey only, and a flexible, loosely woven nest envelope. The seasonal cycle of V. acadica usually begins in mid-July, with the onset of reproductive rearing, and is completed in most areas by the last week of August or first week of September.
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Wikipedia