Eastern Yellowjacket

This is the 4th main yellowjacket species in my area and is also a native species. It's the Eastern Yellowjacket. (The other yellowjackets around here include the native Southern Yellowjacket, the (non-yellow, non-hornet) Bald-faced Hornet, and the invasive German Yellowjacket.)

If you think Southern Yellowjackets are jerks, the Eastern Yellowjackets would probably agree with you. A common tactic used by Southern Yellowjacket queens when starting a new colony is to enter an existing Eastern Yellowjacket colony, attack (and if everything goes according to the SYJ's plans) kill the EYJ's queen, and usurp her role as head of the colony. This is called facultative social parasitism. (I'm assuming the existing EYJ workers don't realize they're now working for a queen of another species.)

The EYJ, SYJ, and GYJ are all considered ground yellowjackets due to their normal preference to nesting in the ground (unlike their BFH cousins who are considered aerial yellowjackets). This tendency seems stronger in the EYJ, though even they will sometimes nest within human-built structures. 

Like many yellowjackets, the EYJ will eat small arthropods, scavenge dead animals, and also drink nectar, honeydew, and juice from fruits.

Although they're not especially aggressive when foraging for food, efforts to keep them away from your picnic could trigger a stinging event. And they're definitely aggressive defenders of their nests.


October 16, 2020 in Bridgewater
Photo 102293877, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tussock Moth Herd

Image
Some caterpillars are usually seen in large numbers (like Armyworm Moth caterpillars and Eastern Tent Caterpillars ), while most are more solitary. The Milkweed Tussock Moth caterpillars (more about them are here ) seem to be slightly social. I'll sometimes see them alone, but more often I'll see them in groups of 2-9 members. In the 1st picture below, you can see there is a clear size difference in some of these individuals. I'm almost certain the little one in the middle is in an earlier instar than the others (though they lack the colorful tufts of fuzz in their earliest instars). August 31, 2021 at Washington Valley Park Photo 167477945, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) In the picture below, it's clear that these caterpillars don't require a lot of personal space. August 31, 2021 at Washington Valley Park Photo 167477979, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Read more

Copper Underwing Caterpillar

Image
I believe this caterpillar to be a Copper Underwing [1]. At least the coloring and the dorsal hump (near the left end of the caterpillar) seem consistent with the Copper Underwing. These caterpillars are not what you'd consider picky eaters; my Caterpillars of Eastern North America describes their diet thusly: Many wooded plants including apple, basswood, blueberry, cherry chestnut, current, grape, greenbrier, hawthorn, hickory, lilac, maple, oak, poplar, raspberry, rhododendron, viburnum, Virginia creeper, and walnut. Wikipedia adds: Ash, privet, honeysuckle, rose, and service trees. That's a pretty wide range of trees and shrubs. One of the challenges of finding them is that they could be almost anywhere; the other challenges are: Their green coloring blends in pretty darned well with the average leaf. They have a habit of feeding underneath leaves, so they're probably not visible when looking down at their location. They have a tendency to move from leaf-to-leaf; if you
Read more

Eastern Pondhawks

Image
I'm going to try something different today with my Eastern Pondhawk pictures. I'm going to let ChatGPT do my blog today. (ChatGPT is an AI program that you can converse with in a pretty human way; an explanation of it is here .) Me:  Can you tell me something interesting about the Eastern Pondhawk? ChatGPT:  The Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis) is a dragonfly species that is native to North America. It is a medium-sized dragonfly, with a wingspan of about 3 inches, and can be found in a variety of habitats, including wetlands, marshes, and ponds. One interesting characteristic of the Eastern Pondhawk is its mating behavior. Male Eastern Pondhawks are known for their territorial behavior and will defend their territory from other males. They will patrol their territory and will try to mate with any females that fly into their territory. Another interesting fact about the Eastern Pondhawk is that it is a fast flyer and is able to hover in midair. It is also an import
Read more