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 324 records in the project database.

View images at BugGuide

View taxon at iNaturalist

View taxon at NatureServe

Search Google Images

Search MBP Facebook posts (beta | requires login)


[View seasonality details]
GA AL WA FR CL MO HO BA BC HA CE PG AA CV CH SM KE QA CN TA DO WISOWO 
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 Baltimore City, Maryland (9/19/2008). Photo by Thomas Wilson. (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)


View All Images

Use of images featured on Maryland Biodiversity Project is only permitted with express permission of the photographer.