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Spotting

Description:

European Wasp with a what's left of a Honey Bee, a small group of wasps were hanging around the entrance of a hive picking off the Honey Bees. I'm unsure if the species of wasp is Vespula germanica or V. vulgaris. Link below has great I.D detail http://www.eakringbirds.com/eakringbirds...

Notes:

Apparently the cold winter in Europe kills off the workers leaving queens to start fresh every year. In Aus when we have a mild winter the workers live on creating the potential for super nests. It is believed the high density of wasps this year is due to a relatively mild winter.

1 Species ID Suggestions

German yellowjactket
Vespula Germanica


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5 Comments

RendyMoonkies
RendyMoonkies 9 years ago

here is the link to : v.germanica or vulgaris in new zealand journal
https://books.google.co.id/books?id=t7YK...

and that is Nice Photo anyway thanks for sharing, have nice day

Vinny
Vinny 9 years ago

Definitely a tricky one Rendy, I'll look into the papers you've mentioned an see if I have any luck :)

RendyMoonkies
RendyMoonkies 9 years ago

well, I was thinking that they are just same. my bad.
I just realize that there are two species that looks similiar each other. and now, I just can't say is it vugaris or germanica by looking at the pictures.
you need to keep this yellowjacket for a while to specific indentification and you may read New Zealand Journal of Zoology 1989 and searching for vespula germanica Edwards (1980) identification key. it will help you a lot .

but, it might vespula germanica female. just my suggestion :)

v. vulgaris : http://www.bwars.com/index.php?q=sites/w...

v.germanica : http://www.bwars.com/index.php?q=sites/w...

Vinny
Vinny 9 years ago

Thanks Rendy, out of interest what features do you use to separate V. germanica from V. vulgaris? I've had trouble working it out.

RendyMoonkies
RendyMoonkies 9 years ago

it's look like wasp and hornet, but I'm familiar with the yellowjacket.

Vinny
Spotted by
Vinny

Victoria, Australia

Spotted on Mar 30, 2015
Submitted on Mar 30, 2015

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