CLOSED: Wasps - Common (Vespula vulgaris)

I noticed that Common Yellow Jacket were repeated twice in True Wasps. Also doing a little research online - just type in latin name for search engine and it turn out most id is mistaken. Common Yellow Jacket are only found in Boreal regions and Rockies Mountain. I know that most people will have to change their message individually but just to let you all know. The wasps of Eastern US most of you likely seen is Eastern Yellow Jacket, Bald Face Hornet, German Yellow Jacket, and Aerial Yellow Jacket. I don't know how to id a wasp you just killed but Bald Face hornet is moderately easy to id and the other 3 species of Yellow Jacket have their own unique nesting habit. Aerial and Bald Face Hornet do the classic way, hanging paper nest while Eastern Yellow Jacket, the most common, nest underground and in fallen woods and stumps while German Yellow Jacket nest in building (jn cracks of walls or attic for example) and enclosure spaces.

Hi Malus. I wouldn't be too surprised if some wasps are mis- ID'ed. You're right, squashed wasps are hard to ID! At least they're holding still though.

This is BugFiles Vespula vulgaris page - the reports there are within its range, which seems to be broader than just the Rockies and boreal zones, according to some sites, anyway:

http://davesgarden.com/guides/bf/go/260/


A couple V. vulgaris maps:

http://www.discoverlife.org/20/q

http://bugguide.net/node/view/14087/data

I haven't looked at the Paravespula page, which ones do you think are wrong? Going to have a look at those now. I guess there is disagreement over whether it's a separate genus or a sub genus

I think you're right in that many of the reports and comments for 'Paravespula vulgaris' probably refer to the Eastern Yellowjacket, V. maculifrons

(groan) after reading a bit more websites, it have become more confusing - I found more information on V. vulgaris - turn out it is not native here either - called English Wasp after its orginial home in Europe through Russia - introduced and a noxious pest in N. America, Hawaii, Iceland, Australia and New Zealand. Also I noticed that the founder of this Bugfiles is from Australia so it explains V. vulgaris's present. You can't expect the general public to get 100% bug id on bugfiles so range is not dependable - it is still new and even I make mistakes - like bumblebees - I am thinking of removing the comments on red bumblebee as there seem to be a 2nd species for Northern Minnesota. I had lots of trouble finding any map on V. vulgaris - Bugguide seem to be a bit biased toward the Rockies Mountain (I could be wrong) (when I meant Rockies Mountain I meant all high elevation (having characteritc of boreal forest - pine, spruce, fir trees, etc ) mountain ranges in the Western United States - sorry) and the Appalichian Mountains have some boreal species living further south than usual. When I went there once to look for information on bumblebees most of the pictures were of Colorado, Oregon, etc with barely any for the Eastern United States even for species that is common to the Eastern United States. I couldn't find anything on V. vulgaris on discoverlife.org - even using the search engine or your link, Claypa I couldn't find the map. Also other websites may not be accurate - Wikipedia were vague, saying it is widespread all over N. America and have a unproved reference that German wasp is most abaduant wasp in Ohio. It's up to us to make more precious range id of bugs. I will withdraw some of my comments - there is too much variable in information. V. vulgaris also nest underground so it is not a good id for Eastern Yellowjacket. What I meant is I can't id wasps by themselves - mainly by nest but that may even not be valid except for Aerial Yellow Jacket. We need more information on German yellowjacket, Eastern Yellow Jacket, and Common Yellow Jacket.

http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=Vespula+vulgaris

Trying that link again, it's working in the preview - if this doesn't work, try a search for "Vespula vulgaris map", and look for a 'discover life' search result

Ah found it through your second time link- look like zone 4 through 5a so it is also in transitional zone between the North and The South (in plant term it is like Spruce decreasing to the south and Redbud and Magnolia decreasing toward the North and being cut off after going outside that transitional zone). Also with all that genus name debates going on I just leave it up to what the decision is in the majority at that point. I am going to add that that species prefer cold winters to mild climates. It makes me wonder if it is an evolutional response to German Yellow Jacket in its native range? I will have to research more on German Yellow Jacket. I will also have to check if there are any relationship between Common Yellow Jacket and "northern" needleleaf species of trees (Pines, Spruce, Fir, White Cedar, and Redwood and other western coastal US needleleaf) as there is little to no reports of this species found in southern pine forests and obvious this species avoid grassland and desert environment.

I finished editing my descriptions - I may add more in the future. I found out that German Yellow Jacket is more heat tolerable, and the only area it have not been found is in the tropics. It is native even to North Africa and is invasive in the Andes, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand along with North America. I have decided to mark it as solved for now. Thanks everyone!