About Vespula acadica (Sladen, 1918)
Description and identification: Vespula acadica is primarily black with yellow markings, with a total body length ranging between 10 and 15 mm. The underside of its scape (the basal segment of the antenna) is yellow, rather than being entirely black. It looks very similar to the related species Vespula atropilosa, but can be distinguished by the shape of the apex of the middle black region on its second gastral segment: this apex is rounded in V. acadica, while it is pointed in V. atropilosa. Distribution and habitat: V. acadica is found across boreal regions of North America. Its range extends from Alaska south along the West Coast of the continent to southern California, and extends east into the southwestern United States. In eastern North America, the species has a more northerly distribution that runs through the Great Lakes region, and reaches the Atlantic east coast as far south as the Carolinas.
