Insects › Hornets, Paper Wasps, Potter Wasps, and Allies

California Yellowjacket

Vespula sulphurea

Easily confused with

Study checks a spoken answer against these, and tells you which one you named.

Where it is recorded

Records by month in California.January 28, February 24, March 25, April 32, May 31, June 35, July 74, August 84, September 51, October 36, November 33, December 25.
United States330
California319
Mexico13
Baja California13
Nevada10
Oregon9

Counts show where people looked, not only where it lives.

Traits

Behavioral

  • EusocialLives in colonies with division of labor and cooperative brood careFrom its classification

Physical

  • ExoskeletonHas a hard external skeletonFrom its classification

Practical

  • StingingCan deliver a painful stingFrom its classification

Classification

KingdomAnimals · Animalia
PhylumArthropods · Arthropoda
ClassInsects · Insecta
OrderAnts, Bees, Wasps, and Sawflies · Hymenoptera
FamilyHornets, Paper Wasps, Potter Wasps, and Allies · Vespidae
GenusGround Yellowjackets · Vespula

Sources

Remember the name next time.

Practise California Yellowjacket with real photos from different observers. Say the name out loud, and it comes back just before you would forget it.