Yellowjackets

Participants in the OGIA/OSU Extension Diagnostic Walkabout held this past Monday in Cincinnati Parks’ T. M. Berry International Friendship Park observed the handiwork of our native Hydrangea Leaftier Moth caterpillars. The moth’s caterpillars appear to feed exclusively on our native Smooth Hydrangea, as well as varieties and cultivars.

Yellowjackets (Vespula spp. and Dolichovespula spp.), Baldfaced Hornets (D. maculata), and Paper Wasps (Polistes spp.) belong to the wasp family, Vespidae. These wasps share many traits including defending their nest at all costs and an ability to sting multiple times without dying.

Entomologists consider any insect that belongs to the hymenopteran family Vespidae to be a wasp. This includes yellowjackets (Vespula spp. and Dolichovespula spp.), baldfaced hornets (D. maculata), and paper wasps (Polistes spp.). "Bees" belong to the hymenopteran family Apidae.

This is the time of the year when wasps expand their nests at an exponential rate which explains the number of e-mails I've gotten recently about stinging encounters. A common question has been "where did the nest come from?"

Oak bullet galls have reached their maximum size for the season and will soon release their developing female wasps. The galls arise from twigs and are produced under the direction of several species of cynipid wasps (family Cynipidae). So, you may find different types of bullet galls depending on the exact gall-making wasp species that directed their creation.