Stats

Lifespan

Annual

Size

Small

Diet

Omnivore

Activity

Diurnal

Social

Colony

Biome

Temperate forest

Range

North America

Movement

Flight

Breeding

Egg-laying

Defense

Venom

Status

Uncommon

About

A social wasp native to western North America, the Western Yellowjacket builds paper nests that can house tens of thousands of workers when multiple queens share a single colony. Unlike most wasps, it aggressively scavenges meat and sugary food, making it a common uninvited guest at picnics and trash cans.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   egg

   A small egg is laid on or near the larval food source and hatches within days or weeks.
2. 2.
   juvenile

   An immature insect feeds and molts, growing through successive instars.
3. 3.
   subadult

   A near-adult insect has wing buds or near-mature form, one molt away from full size.
4. 4.
   adult

   Fully grown, with full wings and adult coloration.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hymenoptera

Family

Vespidae

Genus

Vespula

Species

Vespula pensylvanica