Vespula alascensis
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Vespula alascensis, also referred to as Alaska yellowjacket or American yellowjacket, is a species of yellowjacket that inhabits North America. Although it was named in 1870, it was, until 2010, treated as a taxonomic synonym of a related species, Vespula vulgaris, but is now recognized as a distinct taxon. Generally it nests in the ground. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Olympic National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Pacific Rim National Park Reserve | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Redwood National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Rocky Mountain National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 9 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report an American Yellowjacket sighting in Anchorage on a given day, based on 33 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 5th most-seen of the 59 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report an American Yellowjacket in Anchorage on a given day, against under 5% in November to April, the lowest months. That is one of Anchorage's wettest months, with about 110 mm of rain against 40 mm in April.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most American 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.
Yes
Of the 9 cities where we can rate American Yellowjacket sightings, Anchorage has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Seattle (United States, about 10%) and Portland (United States, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the American Yellowjacket is recorded against all the insects logged in Anchorage (33 verified sightings), 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.
