Evergreen Natural History Database

Identification:
Of the Vespula of the Northwest, V. consobrina is the only species that is black and white. It can be easily differentiated from Dolichovespula maculata, a black and white wasp in our area in the genus Dolichovespula, by the presence of white markings on the first three gastral terga, which D. maculata lacks.

No photos available at this time.

Geography:
The occurence of V. consobrina is limited to North America, whrere it is found transcontinentally in the boreal zone. On the Pacific coast it is found from Southern California to Alaska.

Natural History:
(Akre et al., 1980) - This species nests in cavities, including rodent burrows and walls of houses. The nests tend to be small, with a maximum size of about 1500 cells.

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