Vespula alascensis
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
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 |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an American Yellowjacket sighting in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 78th most-seen of the 107 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August and October
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report an American Yellowjacket in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in November to July, the lowest months.
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.
Among the best
Of the 9 parks where we can rate American Yellowjacket sightings, Pacific Rim National Park Reserve ranks 4th at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Acadia National Park (United States, about 10%), Olympic National Park (United States, about 10%) and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (United States, about 10%).
Same genus: Vespula
The closest relatives of the American Yellowjacket that you can see in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve (genus Vespula, Ground Yellowjackets) are Blackjacket (about 10%) and Forest Yellowjacket (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the American Yellowjacket is recorded against all the insects logged in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve (7 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.
