Factors influencing mate attraction and mating behavior in a social yellowjacket wasp

Social wasps provide numerous ecosystem services as well as some dis-services. For example, yellowjacket wasps (Vespula spp.) may impact arthropod communities through predation and competition for resources, yet also may be nuisance pests at picnics or pose health risks to allergic individuals. Yellowjackets may have significant ecological impacts on local ecological communities in part due to their sociality and large colony sizes, especially in high wasp years. To better predict years with high wasp populations and potentially develop strategies for wasp control, it is essential to understand the factors underlying mate location, acceptance, and mating. Here, we report some of our recent findings as to the factors that influence mate attraction and likelihood of successful mating in the western yellowjacket, Vespula pensylvanica.