Evergreen Natural History Database

Common Name:
The baldfaced yellowjacket.

Identification:
D. maculata is a large (>15 mm) black and ivory yellowjacket. It can be distinguished from other black and ivory vespines of our region, by the lack of white markings of the first three gastral terga.

Geography:
The occurence of D. maculata is limited to North America, where it is found transcontinentally. On the West coast, it is found from Alaska to southern California. It is also found in the Southwest U.S. and throughout the Eastern U.S.

Natural History:
(Akre et al., 1980) - This species almost exclusively makes aerial nests. The nests are conspicuous and are sometimes near human structures. D. maculata takes mostly live prey.

Last updated Tuesday, August 08, 2006, by Lisa Ferrier