Dolichovespula

Dolichovespula is a small genus of social wasps distributed widely throughout the Northern Hemisphere. The yellow and black members of the genus are known by the common name yellowjackets in North America, such as Dolichovespula norwegica, along with members of their sister genus Vespula. In a study on the nesting biology of Dolichovespula, a colony of D. maculata with 771 workers was reported as having the largest recorded population count.

==Overview== thumb|D. arenaria on goldenrod thumb|right|Wasp morphology: the oculo-malar space Several morphological differences distinguish them from Vespula. The most noticeable is the long face (dolikhos = "long" in Greek). Viewed from the front, Dolichovespula faces are long, while Vespula faces are short and round. The oculomalar space, the distance between the eye and the mandible, is long in Dolichovespula and short in Vespula. Dolichovespula nests are usually aerial, while Vespula spp. often nest underground.