Downy Yellowjacket
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Minneapolis [Saint Paul]

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

12 Verified sightings at Minneapolis [Saint Paul]
57 In all 3 parks From 2019 to 2026
September Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Downy Yellowjacket

Vespula flavopilosa, also known as the downy yellowjacket, is a species of yellowjacket found in North America. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Boston 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Baltimore 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
3 New York City 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
4 Washington 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
5 Minneapolis [Saint Paul] 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
6 Philadelphia 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
7 Montreal 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
8 Chicago 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
9 Toronto 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Downy Yellowjacket in Minneapolis [Saint Paul]?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Downy Yellowjacket sighting in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 384th most-seen of the 672 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 Downy Yellowjacket in Minneapolis [Saint Paul]?

September

In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Downy Yellowjacket in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] on a given day, against under 5% in October to August, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Downy Yellowjacket?

Between noon and 3 pm

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

Is Minneapolis [Saint Paul] the best place to see a Downy Yellowjacket?

5th of 9

Of the 9 cities where we can rate Downy Yellowjacket sightings, Minneapolis [Saint Paul] ranks 5th at under 5%. The best odds are in Boston (United States, about 10%), Baltimore (United States, under 5%) and New York City (United States, under 5%).

Which relatives of the Downy Yellowjacket live in Minneapolis [Saint Paul]?

Same genus: Vespula

The closest relatives of the Downy Yellowjacket that you can see in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] (genus Vespula, Ground Yellowjackets) are Eastern Yellowjacket (about 10%) and German Yellowjacket (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Downy Yellowjacket sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Downy Yellowjacket is recorded against all the insects logged in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] (12 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.

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