Bald-Faced Hornet Nest

Description:

I spotted this hornet's nest high overhead in the branches of a maple tree. The bald-faced hornet actually belongs to a genus of yellow jackets in North America, but unlike many congeners it lacks yellow coloring. Instead, it is called a hornet in the American sense of a wasp that builds paper nests. It is best known for its large, football-shaped paper nest, which it builds in the spring to rear young and which the females will aggressively defend with its ability to repeatedly sting perceived threats.

Habitat:

The bald-faced hornet lives in North America, including southern Canada, the Rocky Mountains, the western coast of the United States, and most of the eastern US. It is most common in the southeastern United States.

Notes:

Spotted along the trail at the Allatoona Pass Battlefield.