Dolichovespula arenaria, also known as the common aerial yellowjacket, sandhills hornet, and common yellow hornet, is a species of wasp within the genus Dolichovespula widely distributed in the North American continent.

The genus Dolichovespula is in the family Vespidae. In North America, the genus is referred to as yellowjackets. The genus has 18 species, including D. arenaria and other species such as D. albida, D. alpicola, D. saxonica, and D. maculata.

Taxonomy and phylogeny

D. arenaria can be identified by the medially interrupted or incised apical fasciae of terga 1 and 2. They are yellow in color and can be differentiated from the other yellow-colored wasps, such as D. adulterina, in its genus by the lack of black markings in the ocular sinus.
In the majority of the population, the ocular sinus is yellow, but some melanic males have a black area that reaches the lower margin of the sinus. The queen has large black discal spots on terga 4 and 5, and smaller ones on terga 2 and 3.
Males can be identified by the larger antenna, spots on their basal band on terga 4 and 5 as well as an abdomen that ends with a flat "fuzzy butt" instead of a pointed stinger. Nest size ranges from 1-6 combs, and are made out of dull grey paper. However, color variations do occasionally occur due to available materials.

Description and identification

The common aerial yellowjacket lives across Canada and the United States. It occurs from northcentral Alaska to as far south as New Mexico and Arizona. D. arenaria is in fact one of the most common aerial yellowjackets found in eastern North America, and nests can be found in arboreal to subterranean habitats. Its nests are made from paper-like material and are usually found in trees and shrubs. In urban settings, nests are frequently found on buildings.

Distribution and habitat

A queen initiates a colony in the spring by choosing a site and building a small paper nest where it lays its eggs. Then, the eggs hatch from the brood cell and the queen feeds the larvae. These larvae eventually become workers and the colony continues to grow and peaks in the summer. The workers are morphologically distinct from the queen. The single queen heads the annual nests by producing workers In the Dolichovespula genus, male (drone) production by workers is common and there exists high worker relatedness due to low effective paternity within nests. In general, these colonies flourish for roughly a year before they dwindle as the winter sets in.

Colony cycle

Predators
Because yellow hornets generally locate their nests high in trees, their primary predators are fairly limited to birds and occasionally other wasps. Also, many mammals take the opportunity to go after an ill-placed nest to eat the nutrient-rich larvae. These would include skunks, possums, raccoons, and bears.

Diet
D. arenaria workers are known to mostly prey on live arthropods of a wide variety such as grasshoppers, crickets, caterpillars, spiders, flies, lacewings, and even lady beetles (which are generally avoided by Vespula species). They also prey on larvae of the fall webworm, as well as young hummingbirds. In general, they are not attracted to protein baits. Occasionally, however, Dolichovespula spp. may feed on animal carcasses— such feeding has been observed on carcasses of a dog, pig, and snake. They are commonly seen to prey in higher trees (2–4 m).

Defense
In general,  smaller colonies are seen as less aggressive than larger ones. Observations of  D. arenaria’s personality differ, one stating that they are quarrelsome and then other arguing that they are not, but this difference may lie in the fact that the first observation was observing the behavior when approaching a D. arenaria nest, whereas the other was describing the behavior of workers away from their nest individually. Smaller colonies’ colony defense behaviors are said to be unpredictable and erratic.

Parasites
The two common parasites of D. arenaria nests are Sphecophaga vesparum burra, an ichneumonid, and D. arctica, a vespid social parasite.Female bee moths (Aphomia sociella) have also been known to lay their eggs in D. arenaria nests. The hatched larvae then proceed to feed on the eggs, larvae, and pupae left unprotected by the yellowjackets, sometimes destroying large parts of the nest as they tunnel throughout looking for food.

Interaction with other species

harmful

venomous

Dolichovespula arenaria, commonly known as the aerial yellowjacket, can be considered a tree pest because they build their nests in trees, particularly in hollowed-out cavities or abandoned bird nests, causing potential damage to the tree structure and posing a threat to the surrounding environment.

tree pest

Dolichovespula arenaria can be considered garden pests because they are known to scavenge for food in gardens, particularly for sweet substances like ripe fruits or nectar, which can lead to damage or contamination of crops and create a nuisance for gardeners.

garden pest

Dolichovespula arenaria can be considered crop pests because they scavenge for food in gardens and are attracted to sweet substances like ripe fruits or nectar, which can lead to damage or contamination of crops, impacting their quality and yield.

crop pest

Dolichovespula arenaria can be considered pests because they can cause harm to trees by building nests in them, potentially damaging the tree structure. Additionally, they can be a nuisance in gardens and crops as they scavenge for sweet substances, leading to damage or contamination of crops.

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Is aerial yellowjacket beneficial?

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