Arthropods Daily – Issue No. 481

The Saxon wasp belongs to the Vespidae family, specifically the Dolichovespula genus, known for its long-faced characteristic. It is closely related to the Vespula genus and both are part of the yellowjackets group. Dolichovespula species typically build aerial nests with about a thousand cells and have a colony cycle lasting three to five months. The Saxon wasp, D. saxonica, is larger than most yellowjacket species and has distinct physical features like black and yellow stripes. They are aerial nesters, constructing ball-shaped nests from rotting wood. These wasps are found in Europe and parts of Asia, nesting in various habitats including forests, countryside, and urban areas. Their colony cycle involves queens surviving winter and starting new colonies in spring, with the colony peaking in size around mid-summer before declining in late summer.