Common wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
Common wasps are instantly recognisable because of their yellow and black stripes. They are social insects and live in underground nests of up to 10,000 workers. The wasps do not construct their own burrow but will choose one which already exists, such as an abandoned animal burrow, a corner of a garden shed, or the loft of a house.
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About the Common wasp
The common wasp, Vespula vulgaris, is a yellowjacket wasp found in much of the Northern Hemisphere, and introduced to Australia and New Zealand. It is a eusocial vespid, which builds its grey paper nest underground, often using an abandoned mammal hole as a start for the site, which is then enlarged by the workers. The foundress queen may also select a hollow tree, wall cavity, or rock crevice for a nest site.
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Scientific Classification
Phylum: Arthropod (Arthropoda)
Genus: Vespula
Species: Common wasp (vulgaris)
Common Names
European wasp
The Common wasp is
Adaptation data provided by Animal Diversity Web
Where can I see them?
They can be found in the following habitats:
Elsewhere on the web
- Common wasp - Vespula vulgaris (arkive.org)
- Polistes fuscatus (animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu)
- Global Invasive Species database: common wasps as pests (issg.org)
- Keele University: wasp facts and identification (keele.ac.uk)
- Space For Nature article: wasps - friend or foe? (spacefornature.co.uk)
- UK Nature: common wasp biology (uknature.co.uk)
- Common wasp (wikipedia.org)
Site links
BBC links
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