Vespula maculifrons

Taxonomy

Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Vespidae Laicharting, 1781
Subfamily: Vespinae Laicharting, 1781
Genus: Vespula Thomson, 1869
Species: Vespula maculi fronsfrons:
the area between the antennae and ocelli
 (Buysson, 1905)
Common names: eastern yellowjacket

Background

Vespula maculifrons is one of the most common yellowjacket species in the eastern United States (MacDonald and Matthews 1981)(MacDonald and Matthews 1981):
MacDonald JF and RW Matthews. 1981. Nesting biology of the Eastern Yellowjacket, Vespula maculifrons (Hymenoptera: Vespidae). Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 54 (3): 433ndash;457.. It is considered part of the Vl. vulgaris species group, along with Vl. flavopilosa, Vl. germanica, Vl. pensylvanica, and Vl. vulgaris. This group is characterized by having an occipital carina well developed throughout its length and extending to the basebase:
the foundation of a structure
of the mandibles, and the first gastral tergumtergum:
the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a speciifc segment, such as T1, T2, etc.
not narrowed anteriorly or depressed. Hairs are usually pale gray or yellow. Additionally, members of this group typically have larger colonies, larger nests, and longer colony duration when compared to the Vl. rufa species group (Akre et al 1981).

Distribution

widespread in North America from southern Manitoba to Montana and New Mexico and from there across the eastern seaboard (Akre et al. 1981)(Akre et al. 1981):
Akre RD, A Greene, JF MacDonald, PJ Landholt amp; HG. Davis. 1981. Yellowjackets of North America, North of Mexico. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. Handbook #552.

Diagnostic characteristics

Vespula maculifrons resembles Vl. vulgaris, but Vl. vulgaris has a yellow genal bandband:
usually referring to bands of hair or bands of color that traverse across an abdominal segment
interrupted with black. It can also resemble Vl. flavopilosa, but medial black mark on first tergumtergum:
the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a speciifc segment, such as T1, T2, etc.
of most Vl. flavopilosa is V-shaped, without the very narrow “neck” of the mark on Vl. maculifrons (Akre et al. 1981)(Akre et al. 1981):
Akre RD, A Greene, JF MacDonald, PJ Landholt amp; HG. Davis. 1981. Yellowjackets of North America, North of Mexico. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. Handbook #552..

To identify the genus:

• vertex vertex:
  the area between the ocelli and the back of the head
  not or only slightly extending above compound eyes
• distance between laterallateral:
  the side
  ocellus and occipital carina about the same as distance between laterallateral:
  the side
  ocelli
• oculo-malar space narrow, compound eyes touching or nearly touching basebase:
  the foundation of a structure
  of mandibles
• pronotum pronotum:
  a collar-like segment on the thorax and directly behind the head; extends down the sides of the throax toward the first pair of legs
  without transverse anterodorsalanterodorsal:
  top of a body part closest to the head
  carina (Kimsey and Carpenter 2012)(Kimsey and Carpenter 2012):
  Kimsey LS amp; JM Carpenter. 2012. The Vespinae of North America. Journal of Hymenoptera Research 28: 37ndash;65. Doi.org/10.3897/jhr.28.3514.

To identify the species:

• broad, anchor-shaped basomedial mark on tergumtergum:
  the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a speciifc segment, such as T1, T2, etc.
  1, or sometimes with black basalbasal:
  originating at the foundation of a structure
  mark enclosing a pair of transverse yellow spots
• queen clypeusclypeus:
  sutures
  usually with ventrally expanded black central mark connected to dorsaldorsal:
  the top surface of a structure
  margin, or with two black spots and parallel-sided mark connected to dorsaldorsal:
  the top surface of a structure
  margin, rarely just with three small spots
• worker clypeusclypeus:
  sutures
  with one, two, or three black spots, rarely none
• Males:
  • clypeus clypeus:
    sutures
    usually unmarked, rarely with 1–2 black spots
  • abruptly declivous tergumtergum:
    the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a speciifc segment, such as T1, T2, etc.
    7
  • beveled apicalapical:
    near or at the apex or end of any structure
    emargination of sternumsternum:
    the plates on the underside of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment, like S1, S2, etc.
    7 with minute median projection (Buck et al. 2008)(Buck et al. 2008):
    Buck M, SA Marshall, amp; DKB Cheung. 2008. Identification Atlas of the Vespidae (Hymenoptera, Aculeata) of the northeastern Nearctic region. Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification 5: 1ndash;492.

Biology/Life cycle

Vespula maculifrons workers scavenge for meat and prey on live arthropods. This species is the host to the socially parasitic congener Vl. squamosa (MacDonald and Matthews 1981)(MacDonald and Matthews 1981):
MacDonald JF and RW Matthews. 1981. Nesting biology of the Eastern Yellowjacket, Vespula maculifrons (Hymenoptera: Vespidae). Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 54 (3): 433ndash;457..

Colonies are almost exclusively subterranean and are typically initiated by early May by a queen in a small cavity such as a rodent burrow or decaying root passage. Nests rapidly grow through July and August, with peak worker population in September. New queens emerge from late September until December. Colony demise begins in December, and queens overwinter. Colonies can be annual or perennial with the latter reaching much larger sizes (MacDonald and Matthews 1981)(MacDonald and Matthews 1981):
MacDonald JF and RW Matthews. 1981. Nesting biology of the Eastern Yellowjacket, Vespula maculifrons (Hymenoptera: Vespidae). Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 54 (3): 433ndash;457..

May be confused with

Vespula vulgaris

• Vl. vulgaris propodeumpropodeum:
  the last segment of the thorax
  entirely black, Vl. maculifrons worker propodeumpropodeum:
  the last segment of the thorax
  with yellow laterallateral:
  the side
  spots (Buck et al. 2008)(Buck et al. 2008):
  Buck M, SA Marshall, amp; DKB Cheung. 2008. Identification Atlas of the Vespidae (Hymenoptera, Aculeata) of the northeastern Nearctic region. Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification 5: 1ndash;492.

Vespula acadica, Vl. vidua, Vl. ausriaca

• Vl. maculifrons occipital carina continuous to basebase:
  the foundation of a structure
  of mandible
• Vl. maculifrons black bandband:
  usually referring to bands of hair or bands of color that traverse across an abdominal segment
  between corona and ocular sinus usually narrow dorsally (Buck et al. 2008)(Buck et al. 2008):
  Buck M, SA Marshall, amp; DKB Cheung. 2008. Identification Atlas of the Vespidae (Hymenoptera, Aculeata) of the northeastern Nearctic region. Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification 5: 1ndash;492.

Known introductions

none