Vespula vulgaris
Vespula vulgaris, (Linnaeus,1758) “worker” Known as “common wasp” and also “yellow jacket”
Adult workers 12–17 mm in length.
Flight season (UK) (V. vulgaris worker) May to early November (in the southern counties of England) Some colonies may survive a mild winter, before dying out in early spring.
V. vulgaris is a social “eusocial” ( the highest level of organisation of animal sociality) belonging to the Vespidae family. Nests are mostly underground and their entrance tunnels are often much longer than those of V. germanica, sometimes reaching 45cm in length. Nesting sites can also be found in a hollow of a tree, wall cavities, rock crevices, mammal-made holes and also (more common than V. germanica) in roof spaces where nest sizes can be up to 1.2m in diameter. Nests are made from wood fibres collected from rotted and sound wooden surfaces. In their prime, nests contain up to approx... 7500 small cells and 2300 large cells which are capable of rearing up to 10000 workers, 1000 queens and 1000 males. One colony cycle lasts for about 6–11 months, each colony cycle consists of around 3000–8000 larvae.
V. vulgaris is widespread throughout the UK and commonly found throughout Europe and most other countries worldwide, including the Arctic Circle. Although this species has declined, (more so since the late 1990s, (Archer 2001)) it is not regarded as being threatened
Habitat:
A highly adaptive species found (above 2 degrees Celsius) in a vast range of hot and cold, dry and wet habitats, in dry and wet grasslands, natural and planted forests, shrub lands, urban gardens, orchards, and various man-made buildings and structures.
Prey collected:
As common with all other social wasps, workers continuously catch various insects and spiders which are malaxated (chewed up) and fed to the larvae.
Flowers visited:
A vast range of flowers are visited to collect pollen and nectar, the V. vulgaris worker
will also attempt to invade honey bees' nests to steal their honey.
Parasites:
Roundworm (Pheromermis pachysoma), fly-like beetle (Metoecus paradoxus), Conopid fly (Leopoldius coronatus) and the ichneumonid wasp (Sphecophaga vesparum) are recorded as the commonly known parasites of this species (Edwards 1980, smith 1969).
This species, along with other wasp species like V. germanica, were imported by humans into New Zealand and Australia. They are now classed as pests because they have impacted the ecosystem in these countries, also causing damage to fruit crops.
Read MoreAdult workers 12–17 mm in length.
Flight season (UK) (V. vulgaris worker) May to early November (in the southern counties of England) Some colonies may survive a mild winter, before dying out in early spring.
V. vulgaris is a social “eusocial” ( the highest level of organisation of animal sociality) belonging to the Vespidae family. Nests are mostly underground and their entrance tunnels are often much longer than those of V. germanica, sometimes reaching 45cm in length. Nesting sites can also be found in a hollow of a tree, wall cavities, rock crevices, mammal-made holes and also (more common than V. germanica) in roof spaces where nest sizes can be up to 1.2m in diameter. Nests are made from wood fibres collected from rotted and sound wooden surfaces. In their prime, nests contain up to approx... 7500 small cells and 2300 large cells which are capable of rearing up to 10000 workers, 1000 queens and 1000 males. One colony cycle lasts for about 6–11 months, each colony cycle consists of around 3000–8000 larvae.
V. vulgaris is widespread throughout the UK and commonly found throughout Europe and most other countries worldwide, including the Arctic Circle. Although this species has declined, (more so since the late 1990s, (Archer 2001)) it is not regarded as being threatened
Habitat:
A highly adaptive species found (above 2 degrees Celsius) in a vast range of hot and cold, dry and wet habitats, in dry and wet grasslands, natural and planted forests, shrub lands, urban gardens, orchards, and various man-made buildings and structures.
Prey collected:
As common with all other social wasps, workers continuously catch various insects and spiders which are malaxated (chewed up) and fed to the larvae.
Flowers visited:
A vast range of flowers are visited to collect pollen and nectar, the V. vulgaris worker
will also attempt to invade honey bees' nests to steal their honey.
Parasites:
Roundworm (Pheromermis pachysoma), fly-like beetle (Metoecus paradoxus), Conopid fly (Leopoldius coronatus) and the ichneumonid wasp (Sphecophaga vesparum) are recorded as the commonly known parasites of this species (Edwards 1980, smith 1969).
This species, along with other wasp species like V. germanica, were imported by humans into New Zealand and Australia. They are now classed as pests because they have impacted the ecosystem in these countries, also causing damage to fruit crops.
