Welcome to Washington wasps where northern giant hornets might or might not be eradicated in the state, Nonetheless, the efforts of citizens and scientists continue to work to make it a reality.
Apart from the potential agriculture harm inflicted by the northern giant hornets, the Washington wasp world also remains aware of both the benefits and potential harms caused by the hundreds of native wasps in the state.
The vespids, yellow jackets and paper wasps, can be fairly easy to identify. Concerned residents need only know species and their nesting behavior to take preventive action if necessary.
Fortunately, species identification can be relatively straight forward.
The picture at the top of the page, for example, shows European paper wasps tending their umbrella shaped nest.
Common Aerial Yellowjacket Nest
Bald-faced Hornets – aerial nests
Blackjackets – ground nests
Prairie yellowjacket – red arrow points to circular spot – ground nests
Western Yellowjacket – red arrow points to anchor spot – ground nests
Potter and mason wasps fit into the vespids family. However, their presence does not create a similar stinging and medical conundrum. They are solitary wasps that help with natural pest control.
Eumenes
More Washington Wasps
Mexican Grass Carrying Wasp and Yellowjacket comparison
Spider Wasp and Elegant Grass Carrying Wasp comparison
Ammophila
Blue Mud Dauber
Yellow-legged Mud Dauber
Great Golden Digger Wasp
Prionyx
Prionyx atratus all black body
Blue-black Spider Wasp
American sand wasp
Square-headed wasp, Large ectemnius
Hump-back Beewolf face
Hump-backed Beewolf side
Pollen Wasp
Female Carrot Wasp
Male Carrot Wasp
California Velvet Ant female
California Velvet Ant male
Ichneummon
Ichneumon
Spilichnmon
Very small Anomalon
Bees
North American hosts approximately one thousand different species, including its most familiar members, honey bees and bumble bees, along with less familiar names such as Cuckoo Bees, Carpenter Bees and Digger Bees.
Brown-belted Bumblebee (side)
Brown-belted Bumblebee (top)
Yellow-faced Bumble Bee (face)
Yellow-faced Bumble Bee (side)
Yellow-fronted Bumblebee (face)
Yellow-fronted Bumble Bee (side)
Yellow-fronted Bumble Bee (top)
California Bumblebee
California Bumble Bee (face)
Western Bumble Bee
Least Cellophane Cuckoo Bee
Red-footed Sharp-tailed Bee
Western Leafcutter Bee
Furrow Bee
Wide-striped Sweat Bee
Fine Lined Sweat Bee (female)
Fine Lined Sweat Bee (male)
Hairless and small in size, Cuckoo Bees family resemble wasps more than they resemble bees, making them among the least known of the family.
The common name cuckoo refers to the bee’s practice of brood parasitism, like it’s namesake in the bird world, the Cuckoo bird. Adults lay their eggs in ground nests of other bee species, and then let the young fend for themselves.
Digger Bee
Blue Orchard Bee
Leaf-cutter Bees (Megachile)
Western Longhorned Bee (face)
Western Longhorned Bee
Longhorned Bee
Oblong Woolcarder Bee
Female European Woolcarder Bee
Male European Woolcarder Bee
Stelis
Northern Rotund Resin Bee
California Digger-cuckoo Bee