Bumblebee

8-25 mm · Fuzzy black and yellow Insect · Low risk Bumblebee Bombus spp. The bumblebee is an essential pollinator, easy to recognize by its hairy black and yellow body. Unlike wasps, it is not very aggressive and stings only as a last resort. It plays a crucial role in pollinating wildflowers and farm crops […]

Bald-faced Hornet

13-20 mm · Black and white Insect · High risk Bald-faced Hornet Dolichovespula maculata The bald-faced hornet is one of the largest wasps in Quebec. Its black colouring with ivory white markings sets it apart from other species at a glance. It builds large aerial nests and is considered one of the most aggressive wasps […]

Eastern Yellowjacket

10-13 mm · Yellow and black Insect · High risk Eastern Yellowjacket Vespula maculifrons The eastern yellowjacket (Vespula maculifrons) is the most widespread yellow and black wasp in Quebec. It is recognized by its yellow bands striped with black and the black anchor-shaped mark on the first segment of the abdomen. It almost always builds […]

Aerial Yellowjacket

12-18 mm · Yellow and black Insect · High risk Aerial Yellowjacket Dolichovespula arenaria The aerial yellowjacket (Dolichovespula arenaria) builds its paper nest hanging in the open, in trees, shrubs or under the eaves. Common in wooded and rural areas of Quebec, it fiercely defends its nest as soon as someone gets close, especially in […]

Paper Wasp

15-22 mm · Reddish brown and yellow Insect · Moderate risk Paper Wasp Polistes fuscatus The paper wasp is easy to recognize by its slender body, its long legs dangling below it in flight and its open, umbrella-shaped nest with exposed cells. Less aggressive than the yellowjacket, it only attacks if its nest is threatened. […]

Yellowjacket

Worker 12-16 mm · Yellow and black Insect · High risk Yellowjacket Vespula germanica In Quebec, “yellowjacket” is the everyday name for the yellow and black wasps of the genus Vespula, and the German yellowjacket (Vespula germanica) is one of the most common around buildings. It builds its papier-mâché nest in the ground or in […]

Wasp

7-25 mm · Black and yellow or black and white Insect · High risk Wasp Vespidae Wasp is a collective name: in Quebec, it covers about fifteen social species of the Vespidae family. A colony has a few dozen individuals in paper wasps and several thousand in yellowjackets. Stings can cause anaphylactic shock in people […]