Vespinae, Vespidae, Hymenoptera, Insecta, Arthropoda, Animalia
Matthew P. Kweskin
2 Feb 1997
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.
Page author: Matthew P. Kweskin kweskm@evergreen.edu
Last modified: 2 Feb 1997