Dolichovespula adulterina
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Boston

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

27 Verified sightings at Boston
61 In all 5 parks From 2019 to 2026
July Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Dolichovespula adulterina

Dolichovespula adulterina is a species of parasitic social wasp found in the Palearctic region. D. adulterina feeds on a variety of foods, including insects, spiders, arthropods, meat, molluscs, fruit, nectar, and larval secretions. D. adulterina was formerly considered to be synonymous with D. arctica from the Holarctic region, but more recent research indicates that D. arctica is a separate species.

D. adulterina is one of a few parasitic members the subfamily Vespinae, most species of which are eusocial. The length of the forewing is 13.0–14.0 mm in females and 10.0–12.0 mm in males. Commonly, its body is an ivory colour, but it can be pale yellow on occasion; the pale yellow subspecies are found in the western Nearctic and Palearctic regions. Usually, the clypeus is elongated, but sometimes it will be small and round. Females almost always have a black, disc-like spot, whereas males have a black mark that extends to the ventral margin of the clypeus. Melanic individuals have a black spot extending to the dorsal margin. The postocular band in females is narrower relative to the lateral postocular stripes, whereas in males it is... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Grand Teton National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Anchorage 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Boston 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
3 Montreal 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
4 Vancouver 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
5 Toronto 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Dolichovespula adulterina in Boston?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Dolichovespula adulterina sighting in Boston on a given day, based on 27 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 419th most-seen of the 1200 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Dolichovespula adulterina in Boston?

July and August

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Dolichovespula adulterina in Boston on a given day, against under 5% in September to June, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Dolichovespula adulterina?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Dolichovespula adulterina sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Boston the best place to see a Dolichovespula adulterina?

2nd of 5

Of the 5 cities where we can rate Dolichovespula adulterina sightings, Boston ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Anchorage (United States, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Dolichovespula adulterina live in Boston?

Same genus: Dolichovespula

The closest relatives of the Dolichovespula adulterina that you can see in Boston (genus Dolichovespula, Aerial Yellowjackets) are Bald-Faced Hornet (about 20%) and Common Aerial Yellowjacket (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Dolichovespula adulterina sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Dolichovespula adulterina is recorded against all the insects logged in Boston (27 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.

← Back to Boston