#285 Yellowjacket #285
by William Lum
Title
#285 Yellowjacket #285
Artist
William Lum
Medium
Painting - Watercolor
Description
After planting a Magnolia tree I spotted a Yellowjacket on the leaves. The boldness of the color pattern struck me as interesting enough to paint. I have an active Yellowjacket nest along my back fence. Three years ago when I moved here to Roseville, I made a point of wiping out the nests. Then after reading about Yellowjackets, the last two years I just left them alone. Yellowjackets are important predators of pest insects.
So far they have not bothered me at all and I walk by their nest daily. Once in awhile I snack in backyard and not a single Yellowjacket has come near me. My vegetable planter is clear of aphids and other normal plant pests. Of course I have other natural predators to help too such as praying mantis, lizards, dragonflies, hummingbirds, birds in general, and ladybugs. Whatever the combination, it appears to be working and no insecticides are needed.
Yellowjacket is the common name in North America for predatory social wasps of the genera Vespula and Dolichovespula. All females are capable of stinging. (Makes me wonder if males are incapable of stinging?) Yellowjackets are social hunters living in colonies containing workers, queens, and males (drones). In 1975, the German Yellowjacket (V. germanica) first appeared in Ohio, and has now become the dominant species over the eastern Yellowjacket. It is bold and aggressive, and can sting repeatedly and painfully if provoked. I'm glad the California species in my backyard is not as aggressive.
The watercolor painting was done on Arches, 15" x 22", cold press, 140 lb paper.
Uploaded
September 1st, 2017
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