ABSTRACT
Venomous wasps in the genera Vespula and Dolichovespula are called yellowjackets and comprise about 26 species. Some species nest near or in human dwellings and can be a nuisance and health threat to people. Vespula maculifrons, the eastern yellowjacket, occurs from Minnesota to Texas and eastward. It is probably the most troublesome yellowjacket in the eastern and southeastern United States. The treatment recommendations given for yellowjacket stings are generally those recommended for all stinging wasps. In the United States, the term hornet is often misapplied to the yellowjacket, Dolichovespula maculata, because it is large with white and black markings and it builds large aerial nests. True hornets are represented in North America by only one species, Vespa crabro, the brown hornet or European hornet. The most common social groups in temperate regions are the yellowjackets and hornets and the paper wasps.
