# Yellow jacket ID



## Otis R. (Sep 21, 2019)

Looks like one to me, but could use confirmation.


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## quatsch (Feb 4, 2021)

Having killed dozens of these, I'd say yellow jacket.

Their stinger always points down, so if they land on your beer-soaked table, cover it with a napkin, then use one finger to crush its exoskeleton.

Believe me, he'll spend the rest of the day trying to figure out what happened, if he lives that long.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Where do you live, in general? The true pest guys come by occasionally. The insect in your photo looks slightly different than these. Nice photo. Do you have one of its back?

"First, the *non-pest yellowjackets.* In the western U.S., yellowjackets belong to either the genus _Dolichovespula_ or _Vespula_. Within the _Vespula_ species, there are several groups, most notably, the _Vespula rufa_ group and the _Vespula vulgaris_ group. The _Dolichovespula _wasps and those of the _Vespula rufa_ group are strictly insectivorous. What this means to humans is that *they are beneficial wasps *because they eat many disease-spreading or crop-eating insects like flies, caterpillars, grasshoppers, etc. that are detrimental to humans. These insectivorous wasps ARE NOT scavengers for meat and, therefore, they are not pests at our picnics, outdoor receptions, campgrounds, etc. There are several species of these wasps in southern California (_Dolichovespula arenaria_ in the mountains, _V. sulphurea_, the California yellowjacket in the mountains and foothills, _V. atropilosa_, a montane species, and north of Santa Barbara, one might find _V. consobrina_). These wasps typically make small colonies with only a few hundred wasps at peak population and the nests typically die out by the end of summer. These wasps may occasionally seek out sweets from our sodas and fruits, however, most of the time, they leave humans and their food alone and they rarely show up in yellowjacket traps.

In contrast, the pestiferous wasps are members of the _Vespula vulgaris_ group, which have nests with peak wasp population numbering in the several thousands and they continue their life cycle well into the late autumn. Although they do collect insect prey, they also scavenge meat which puts them into contact and conflict with humans. These are the wasps which harass us at outdoor eateries, theme parks, receptions and picnics, congregate at bakeries or candy factories, seek out spilled sodas at sporting stadiums, etc. Basically, their scavenger behavior puts them into interaction with humans which increases the potential for sting incidents as well as being a nuisance which could curtail or cancel outdoor activities. In southern California, there are two species representing the _V. vulgaris_group, the western yellowjacket, _V. pensylvanica_ and the German yellowjacket, _V. germanica_."









Wasp Identification


Identification Guide for Southern California Yellowjackets prepared by Rick Vetter, Entomology, UC Riverside




wasps.ucr.edu





You can try opening a can of tuna, away from them, then putting it near to see if they are meat eaters. I made the mistake of opening one outside, once, while camping. I think members have said they are less active at night or early morning. But, keep the tuna away from stray cats.


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

Otis R. said:


> Looks like one to me, but could use confirmation.
> 
> View attachment 666427


Hmm.

Looks a bit different from the good old Yellow de-Jackets we used to have in Ohio. 

A big ID characteristic is the way they they make this fast side-to-side motion as they skim over whatever they're flying over. Other wasps just zoom on in like planes on a carrier deck.

One big thing is that the colonies in the northern U.S. and Canada are "annual" that is, they only live for a year, then the workers scatter and die off, leaving the new "queens" to hibernate through the winter and start a new nest in spring. That's a big reason everyone suddenly sees a lot of yellow jackets, hornets, etc., in the fall. 

In the southern U.S., the colonies can live a number of years.


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