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[VoidElecent]

Hello!

 

My father has set up a yellow jacket trap in our front yard. As inhumane as it is, we do have a serious Vespula problem; to the point where the insects are threatening our pets and lawn workers.

 

I noticed this lady struggling in the trap, which has already attracted a large number of yellow jackets. I originally thought she was a Cicada Killer, but my brother and father noted shoe looked different. After a bit of investigation, I've decided she could be a Vespa carbro, European Hornet, queen.

 

Date/Time: October 27, 2017. Approximately 5:00 PM.

Location, Ambler, Pennsylvania.

Length: 25-28 mm.

Temperature/Weather: 64° F, Sunny

Rain: Two days ago

Distinguishing Characteristics: Red features, yellow head, fuzzy thorax, yellow/black gaster. Very large!

Distinguishing Behavior: Struggling to escape from trap.

 

Here's a video of her: IDENTIFICATION THREAD

 

Update: I opened the trap and let her out: video.

Edited by VoidElecent, October 27 2017 - 4:01 PM.

[Connectimyrmex]

that's a queen! Cool! She probably entered the trap to get some food before hibernation. Shame you didn't keep her, in my area queens are very rare and shy. Apparently they can be tamed like Polistes wasps, but still have some aggressive tendencies like Vespula.

If you look carefully, you can see a few Vespula queens buried under the workers.

 

Nearly all wasp queens have wide thoraxes, from ants to bees and hornets. Queen Yellow Jackets and Hornets also tend to have "gaster spots" under their stripes (Vespa crab has spots that are joined to the stripes).

Edited by Connectimyrmex, October 27 2017 - 2:53 PM.