About Vespula sulphurea (de Saussure, 1854)
Vespula sulphurea, commonly known as the California yellowjacket, is a species of wasp that belongs to the family Vespidae. It is primarily distributed in the Upper Sonoran Fauna of California, and has also been recorded in southern Oregon, western Nevada, southern Arizona, and northern Baja California. This species builds its nests underground, and the largest known nest of Vespula sulphurea has contained up to 1,100 worker individuals. Its natural predators include the California scrub jay and spiders from the Peucetia genus. Vespula sulphurea feeds on and pollinates plants including fennel, California figwort, and chaparral broom.
