Eastern Yellowjacket Vespula maculifrons (Buysson, 1905)    Synonyms: Vespa maculifrons.
Kingdom Animalia   >   Phylum Arthropoda   >   Class Insecta   >   Order Hymenoptera   >   Family Vespidae   >   Genus Vespula   

Status:

Very common and widespread in the eastern U.S.

Description:

Downy Yellowjacket is very similar, but Eastern Yellowjacket lacks yellow hairs on abdomen and thorax. Black markings on first abdominal tergite of maculifrons distinctively anchor-shaped, with thin basal stem and very wide triangular marking.

There are 393 records in the project database.

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An Eastern Yellowjacket in Washington Co., Maryland (6/7/2015). Verified by Ben Coulter/BugGuide. Photo by Mark Etheridge. (MBP list)

An Eastern Yellowjacket in Howard Co., Maryland (8/11/2017). Photo by Mark Etheridge. (MBP list)

An Eastern Yellowjacket in Harford Co., Maryland (11/3/2017). Photo by Dave Webb. (MBP list)

An Eastern Yellowjacket in Howard Co., Maryland (11/26/2015). Photo by Bonnie Ott. (MBP list)

An Eastern Yellowjacket in Cecil Co., Maryland (10/29/2015). Verified by Matthias Buck/BugGuide. Photo by Shannon Schade. (MBP list)

An Eastern Yellowjacket in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (8/1/2015). Photo by David Illig. (MBP list)

A female Eastern Yellowjacket in Frederick Co., Maryland (8/31/2016). Determined by Ken Wolgemuth/BugGuide. Photo by Mark Etheridge. (MBP list)

A worker Eastern Yellowjacket in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (9/7/2014). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

A worker Eastern Yellowjacket in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (9/7/2014). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

Eastern Yellowjacket in St. Mary's Co., Maryland (9/3/2016). Photo by Jane Kostenko. (MBP list)

An Eastern Yellowjacket in Frederick Co., Maryland (9/9/2017). Photo by Mark Etheridge. (MBP list)

An Eastern Yellowjacket in Carroll Co., Maryland (4/20/2021). Verified by Ken Wolgemuth/BugGuide. Photo by Barbara Speckart. (MBP list)

An Eastern Yellowjacket in Harford Co., Maryland (5/2/2018). Photo by Dave Webb. (MBP list)

An Eastern Yellowjacket in Frederick Co., Maryland (5/21/2018). Photo by Mark Etheridge. (MBP list)

An Eastern Yellowjacket in Washington Co., Maryland (6/22/2020). Photo by Mark Etheridge. (MBP list)

An Eastern Yellowjacket in Frederick Co., Maryland (10/24/2017). Photo by Mark Etheridge. (MBP list)

An Eastern Yellowjacket in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (5/16/2013). Determined by BugGuide. Photo by Lynn Strauss. (MBP list)

An Eastern Yellowjacket in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (5/22/2020). Verified by Scott Nacko/BugGuide. Photo by Lynn Strauss. (MBP list)

Eastern Yellowjacket in Prince George's Co., Maryland (9/10/2017). (c) Katja Schulz, some rights reserved (CC BY). Photo by Katja Schulz via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Eastern Yellowjacket in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (11/24/2020). (c) Sergei Drovetski, all rights reserved. Photo by Sergei Drovetski. (MBP list)

Eastern Yellowjacket in Prince George's Co., Maryland (9/10/2017). (c) Katja Schulz, some rights reserved (CC BY). Photo by Katja Schulz via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

An Eastern Yellowjacket found by students at Jemicy School in Baltimore Co., Maryland (10/16/2013). Photo by Emily Stanley. (MBP list)

A female worker Eastern Yellowjacket in Charles Co., Maryland (7/31/2023). Photo by Dave Webb. (MBP list)

An Eastern Yellowjacket in Baltimore Co., Maryland (12/3/2018). Photo by Emily Stanley. (MBP list)

An Eastern Yellowjacket in Baltimore City, Maryland (10/27/2020). Verified by Jonathan Hoskins/BugGuide. Photo by Dave Webb. (MBP list)

Eastern Yellowjacket in Montgomery Co., Maryland (10/3/2020). (c) Wendy R Fredericks, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Wendy R. Fredericks. (MBP list)

An Eastern Yellowjacket in Baltimore Co., Maryland (8/1/2017). Photo by Pauline Horn. (MBP list)

Eastern Yellowjacket in Montgomery Co., Maryland (10/7/2022). (c) Zachary Dankowicz, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Zachary Dankowicz via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

A female Eastern Yellowjacket feeding on Pawpaw fruit in Harford Co., Maryland (10/7/2017). Determined by Scott N./BugGuide. Photo by Shannon Schade. (MBP list)

An Eastern Yellowjacket in Howard Co., Maryland (8/11/2017). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

An Eastern Yellowjacket (face) in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (8/1/2015). Photo by David Illig. (MBP list)

An Eastern Yellowjacket in Montgomery Co., Maryland (4/14/2017). Photo by Max Wilson. (MBP list)

An Eastern Yellowjacket in Montgomery Co., Maryland (4/14/2017). Photo by Max Wilson. (MBP list)

Eastern Yellowjacket in Washington Co., Maryland (7/23/2021). (c) Mark Etheridge, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Mark Etheridge. (MBP list)

A female Eastern Yellowjacket in Prince George's Co., Maryland (6/14/2011). Photo by Barbara Thurlow. (MBP list)

Eastern Yellowjackets in St. Mary's Co., Maryland (10/27/2017). Photo by Tyler Bell. (MBP list)

An Eastern Yellowjacket in Harford Co., Maryland (7/10/2017). Photo by Josh Emm. (MBP list)

An Eastern Yellowjacket in Worcester Co., Maryland (8/14/2015). Photo by Scott Housten. (MBP list)

Eastern Yellowjacket in Prince George's Co., Maryland (9/30/2020). (c) sgittelman, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by sgittelman via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Eastern Yellowjacket feeding on Magicicada in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (5/27/2021). (c) Timothy Reichard, all rights reserved. Photo by Timothy Reichard. (MBP list)

Eastern Yellowjacket in Prince George's Co., Maryland (8/27/2022). (c) Katja Schulz, some rights reserved (CC BY). Photo by Katja Schulz via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Entrance holes to an Eastern Yellowjacket hive in Harford Co., Maryland (9/5/2018). Photo by Josh Emm. (MBP list)


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