bald-faced hornet
(Dolichovespula maculata)
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Biology • Distribution • Taxonomy
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Description |
Black with white markings on the head, the thorax, the last few segments of the abdomen, and first antennal segment. Wings smokey. The nest is made of a gray-tan wood pulp and is in the shape of an inverted tear drop with an opening near the bottom. It is often found hanging high in a tree, but may be in a bush or other protected place. |
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Similar Species |
Habitat |
Forest edges |
Biology |
Season |
Spring to late fall |
Behavior |
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Life Cycle |
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Larva Food |
Pre-chewed insects |
Adult Food |
Flower nectar, fruit, and possibly other insects |
Distribution |
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Sources |
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| 6/13/2024 | ||
Occurrence |
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Common |
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Taxonomy |
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Order |
Hymenoptera (ants, bees, wasps, and sawflies) |
Suborder |
Apocrita (narrow-waisted wasps, ants, and bees) |
Infraorder |
Aculeata (ants, bees, and stinging wasps) |
Superfamily |
Vespoidea (vespoid wasps) |
Family |
Vespidae (hornets, paper wasps, potter wasps, and allies) |
Subfamily |
Vespinae (hornets and yellowjackets) |
Genus |
Dolichovespula (aerial yellowjackets) |
Subordinate Taxa |
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Synonyms |
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Vespula maculata |
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Common Names |
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bald-faced aerial yellowjacket bald-faced hornet baldfaced hornet |
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What’s in a Name?
Though commonly called a hornet this is actually a yellowjacket.
Visitor Photos |
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MinnesotaManda16 |
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was sitting on my pool deck having a smoke @ 10:30pm last night, heard a really loud buzzing,assumed it was a junebug (not a fan of those at all either) and it flew and smacked me on my left lower leg. Freaked out I started stomping on it, killed it and realized it was a bald faced hornet. Confused why it was even out at night honestly. |
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Alfredo Colon |
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Babette Kis |
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Dolichovespula maculata bald-faced hornet I was out today at Barnes Prairie, and got a few pictures of this handsome aerial yellowjacket. Dolichovespula maculata, bald-faced hornet, on rigid goldenrod Oligoneuron rigidum, formerly known as Solidago rigida, Barnes Prairie, Racine Co., WI October 11, 2022. |
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Kirk Nelson |
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In this photo, a hornet is sitting just inside the entrance |
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Guinness |
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| I have never seen this hornet around the area before. I have been here 18 years. I found the nest after researching a dead hornet by the door light at night. Have seen them mostly at dark by the door light. |  |
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Judy |
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| It is attached to the underside of the gutter on the house - I can watch them work from the upstairs window! I would like to find someone to claim the nest this fall, since it is quite beautiful! |  |
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A.E. |
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First time in my 20+ years here that I’ve seen these. |
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Sandy A. |
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Large, beautiful and scary nest found in the corner of our garage door. |
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Scott Bemman |
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Chuck Ward |
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Norm & Peg Dibble |
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Is this a Bald Faced Hornet? I sure think they are fancy. We get a bunch of them every summer on our large Swamp Milkweed as shown in photo. I haven’t been afraid of them because they always fly away from me and are very concentrated on the blossoms. Should I avoid being near them? |
Hornet nest in our large Ash tree last summer |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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Slideshows |
Bald Faced Hornet |
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About
Copyright DianesDigitals |
Bald-faced Hornet (Dolichovespula maculata) |
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Visitor Videos |
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Other Videos |
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Bald-faced Hornet (Vespidae: Dolichovespula maculata) Queen, Close-up |
About
Published on May 17, 2012 Photographed at the Turtle River State Park, North Dakota (16 May 2012). Thank you to 'Vespula vulgaris' (@BugGuide.net) for confirming the identity of this specimen! |
The Bald-Faced Hornet (Dolichovespula maculata) |
About
Published on Jun 17, 2013 No description available. |
Bald Faced Hornet Dolichovespula maculata (Week 2) |
About
Published on Jun 26, 2013 The second week after collecting the foundress queen for some footage, the queen has reached her first milestone-- her first worker! Are there more to come? Watch and see... |
Bald faced Hornet |
About
Uploaded on Jul 7, 2009 Dolichovespula maculata is a North American insect which, despite commonly being called the bald-faced hornet (or white-faced hornet), is not a true hornet. It belongs to a genus of wasps called yellowjackets in North America, and is more distantly related to true hornets like the Asian giant hornet or European hornet, but the term "hornet" is often used colloquially to refer to any vespine with an exposed aerial nest. The bald-faced hornet lives throughout North America, including southern Canada, the Rocky Mountains, the western coast of the United States, and most of the eastern US. They are most common in the southeastern United States. They are best known for their large football-shaped paper nest, which they build in the spring for raising their young. These nests can sometimes reach 3 feet tall. Like the median wasp Dolichovespula media in Europe, bald-faced hornets are extremely protective of their nests and will sting repeatedly if disturbed. Every year young queens that were born and fertilized the previous year start a new colony and raise their young. The workers expand the nest by chewing up wood that mixes with a starch in their saliva, which they spread with their mandibles and legs to dry into paper. The workers also guard the nest and collect nectar and arthropods to feed the larvae. This continues through summer and into fall. As winter approaches, the wasps die, except for young fertilized queens which hibernate underground or in hollow trees. The nest is generally abandoned by winter, and will most likely not be reused. When spring arrives the young queens emerge, and the cycle begins again. Bald-faced hornets visit flowers, especially in late summer, and can be minor pollinators. Like other social wasps, bald-faced hornets have a caste system made up of the following: |
Bald-faced Hornet - Dolichovespula maculata |
About
Uploaded on Sep 28, 2011 Bald-faced Hornets build a football-sized or larger grey-papery nest in trees or overhanging surfaces. The females defend the nest voraciously and can sting repeatedly and painfully with little provocation. It is wisest not to approach their nests at all. ( Dolichovespula maculata ) September 28, 2011 |
Visitor Sightings |
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| Anonymous 6/19/2024 |
Location: Minneapolis, Hiawatha Park on begonias |
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MinnesotaManda16 |
Location: Lonsdale, MN (Rice County) was sitting on my pool deck having a smoke @ 10:30pm last night, heard a really loud buzzing,assumed it was a junebug (not a fan of those at all either) and it flew and smacked me on my left lower leg. Freaked out I started stomping on it, killed it and realized it was a bald faced hornet. Confused why it was even out at night honestly. |
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| the Hiker 7/31/2023 |
Location: shoreline nest in waste high weeds Henderson MN. I encountered this hornet hiking along a rivers shoreline in Henderson MN. This is the most aggressive hornet I've ever encountered. |
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| Cindy 6/16/2023 |
Location: Little Falls, MN. Under the barn eve. Big and nasty! Went out of there way to chase and sting me. |
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| Babette Kis 10/11/2022 |
Location: Barnes Prairie, Racine Co., WI I was out today at Barnes Prairie, and got a few pictures of this handsome aerial yellowjacket. Dolichovespula maculata, bald-faced hornet, on rigid goldenrod Oligoneuron rigidum, formerly known as Solidago rigida, Barnes Prairie, Racine Co., WI October 11, 2022. |
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| Alfredo Colon 8/11/2022 |
Location: Albany, NY |
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| Alfredo Colon 8/7/2022 |
Location: Albany, NY |
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Deb |
Location: Dassel Mn |
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| Kirk Nelson 12/11/2021 |
Location: Grey Cloud Dunes SNA |
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| Marcia A Hoffman 8/24/2021 |
Location: Blaine lived in Blaine 21 years and first one I’ve ever seen. |
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| VB 7/25/2021 |
Location: Blackduck MN They are all around the yard this year. So far we haven't spotted the best or nests |
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| Guinness 9/12/2020 |
Location: Eureka Township I have never seen this hornet around the area before. I have been here 18 years. I found the nest after researching a dead hornet by the door light at night. Have seen them mostly at dark by the door light. |
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| Judy 8/28/2020 |
Location: Menomonie, WI It is attached to the underside of the gutter on the house - I can watch them work from the upstairs window! I would like to find someone to claim the nest this fall, since it is quite beautiful! |
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| A.E. 8/21/2020 |
Location: Randolph, MN First time in my 20+ years here that I’ve seen these. |
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| Sandy A. 7/28/2020 |
Location: LeGrande Township (Alexandria) Large, beautiful and scary nest found in the corner of our garage door. |
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| Scott Bemman 7/26/2020 |
Location: Scenic State Park |
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| VB 7/22/2020 |
Location: Chaska, Minnesota at Hummingbird feeder |
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| Tollef 7/15/2020 |
Location: Elizabeth Township, Ottertail County. have never seen this type before. Small neat under a hose reel. |
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| Becky Johnson 6/23/2020 |
Location: Shevlin, MN Have nest on the outside of the house and under the wishing well. |
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| Alfredo Colon August 2019 |
Location: Slinger, Wisconsin |
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| Alfredo Colon 8/21/2019 |
Location: Woodbury, MN |
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| Alfredo Colon 8/15/2019 |
Location: Woodbury, MN |
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| Kirk Nelson 8/4/2019 |
Location: Lebanon Hills Regional Park |
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| Carol A Amundson 8/20/2019 |
Location: Scandia Never noticed them before here on the Washington/Chisago county line. Many seen daily in calf yard chasin flies. We've had 2 bad stings. |
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| Chuck Ward 8/19/2019 |
Location: Scandia MN |
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| Norm & Peg Dibble 7/15/2019 |
Location: Maple Grove, MN Is this a Bald Faced Hornet? I sure think they are fancy. We get a bunch of them every summer on our large Swamp Milkweed as shown in photo. I haven’t been afraid of them because they always fly away from me and are very concentrated on the blossoms. Should I avoid being near them? |
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| Norm & Peg Dibble Summer 2018 |
Location: Maple Grove, MN Hornet nest in our large Ash tree last summer |
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| Lisa 7/17/2018 |
Location: Shafer, MN currently building a nest on my house. |
| Kirk Nelson 8/24/2014 |
Location: Baker Park Reserve In this photo, a hornet is sitting just inside the entrance |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings |
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