Vespula acadica
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
Vespula acadica, also known as the forest yellowjacket, is a North American species of eusocial wasp which is part of the "rufa" group within the genus Vespula. It is a black and yellow wasp that is found in arboreal areas and builds its nests most often in decaying vegetation like logs, but has occasionally been found to build aerial nests. Due to its preference for forests V. acadica does not normally come into contact with humans; however, when colonies are disturbed, workers of this yellowjacket may be quite aggressive and persistent and sting repeatedly.
V. acadica belongs to the genus of Vespula which includes numerous species of social wasps. The wasps within the genus Vespula are found throughout the Northern Hemisphere and are commonly referred to as yellowjackets in North America. Vespula wasps are commonly mistaken for other genera, most often the paper wasps of the genus Polistes. V. acadica is considered to be a member of the Vespula rufa group and is most closely related to other members of the group, including Vespula consobrina and Vespula atropilosa.
V. acadica is black with yellow markings and ranges... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pacific Rim National Park Reserve | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vancouver | 🇨🇦 Canada |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Forest Yellowjacket sighting in Acadia National Park on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 224th most-seen of the 405 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July and August
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Forest Yellowjacket in Acadia National Park on a given day, against under 5% in September to June, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Forest Yellowjacket sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Forest Yellowjacket sightings, Acadia National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve (Canada, about 10%).
Same genus: Vespula
The closest relatives of the Forest Yellowjacket that you can see in Acadia National Park (genus Vespula, Ground Yellowjackets) are American Yellowjacket (about 10%), Blackjacket (about 10%) and Eastern Yellowjacket (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Forest Yellowjacket is recorded against all the insects logged in Acadia National Park (10 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
