Vespula sulphurea (Saussure, 1854)

Vespinae, Vespidae, Hymenoptera, Insecta, Arthropoda, Animalia

Matthew P. Kweskin

2 Feb 1997


Identification- V. sulphurea is yellow and black. This is the only species in the genus Vespula, in our area, that has two longitudinal yellow stripes on the back of its thorax.

Geography- This species is found in California, southern Oregon, and limited regions of Nevada and Arizona.

Natural History (Akre et al., 1980)- V. sulphurea has subterranean nests. It is not a common species. The placement of V. sulphurea and its sister species V. squamosa in the V. rufa species group has been questioned; in Akre et al. (1980) the placement was equivocal. The cladistic study of Carpenter (1987) showed V. sulphurea's placement in the V. rufa group to best supported.


Page author: Matthew P. Kweskin kweskm@evergreen.edu
Last modified: 2 Feb 1997