Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris

Common Wasp thorax and back
Common Wasp face
The Common Wasp, as its name says, is one of the most common Eurasian wasps. Since several other wasps also have black and yellow striped abdomens and the pattern on individual worker wasps varies considerably, two of the most distinguishing features are the face and the back of the thorax. The face, top right, usually has an anchor pattern on the "nose" (the Red Wasp has a broader anchor-type). The second row of yellow marks on the lower thorax are thinner and closer together than the first pair, often nearly touching (the German Wasp has equidistant pairs).
Common Wasp anchor Common Wasp anchor
Common Wasp back Common Wasp back
Common Wasp
Common Wasp
Common Wasp
Common Wasp abdomen and thorax markings. It is native to most of the Palearctic region (and invasive elsewhere).
Common Wasp
Common Wasp
Common Wasp face marking.
Common Wasp
They can be quite hairy in cold climates.
Common Wasp with greenbottle fly Common Wasp workers are quite small (1.2-1.7cm long) - this one not much larger than the green-bottle fly on the pear.
Common Wasp with pound coin size comparison Queens are about twice the length of workers; males are intermediate between the two.
Common Wasp
Common Wasp with ant on pear
Common Wasp on pear
Common Wasp gathering pear
Common Wasp (with ant, left) chiselling off a chunk of pear to take away.