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Bald-faced Hornet

Dolichovespula maculata

Black and ivory bald-faced hornet on a plant

Look for black and ivory markings and a pale face. Despite its name, this is a kind of yellowjacket. Its enclosed paper nest is usually above ground. Observe from afar: nest defense can be intense.

A yellowjacket with a different name

The black body and pale face make this wasp distinctive. Despite its common name, it belongs to the yellowjacket group rather than the true hornet genus, Vespa.

Paper architecture

Workers build an enclosed paper nest above ground, often in a tree or shrub. They hunt insects to feed the larvae as the colony grows.

Watching safely

An occupied nest can be strongly defended. Enjoy distant views of its construction, but avoid shaking branches or working close to the entrance.

Advice for sharing space with wasps

Learn More

Read the university identification and biology guide

Explore WSU’s regional colony lifecycle (PDF, 2003)

Photograph & license

Bald-faced Hornet — Judy Gallagher. CC BY 2.0. Resized and converted to WebP.

The photograph illustrates this species or group; it was not necessarily taken in Oregon.

Solitary wasp

A solitary wasp has no colony of workers helping raise her young. A female may stock her own nest cells with food, or find a host for her developing offspring. Solitary describes social life; parasitoid describes a feeding strategy. A wasp can be both.

Social wasp

Social wasps share a nest and cooperate in raising young. In yellowjacket and paper wasp colonies, reproductive females lay eggs and workers help feed the brood and maintain the nest. They can defend that nest, so observing a forager is different from approaching a colony.

Non-native Social wasp

This is a social wasp introduced beyond its natural range. In this case the European paper wasp was introduced to North America from Europe, probably hidden in shipping materials. Non-native describes its origin, while social describes colony life.