parasitic yellowjacket wasp on angelica

August 19, 2021 • Comet Falls-Van Trump Trail, Mt. Rainier National Park • Pierce County, Washington

Coordinates: 46.79476,-121.77901 (click for map)
parasitic yellowjacket wasp on angelica (Dolichovespula arctica, Angelica arguta) [Comet Falls-Van Trump Trail, Mt. Rainier National Park, Pierce County, Washington]
Filename: 20210819-104107.jpg 1383x1037 pixels, ISO 250, f5.0 @ 1/125 sec
Dolichovespula arctica, Angelica arguta

The wasp is "parasitic" because it lays its eggs in the nests of other yellow jacket species... although this one is a male, so he isn't laying eggs anywhere.

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