Saxon Wasp Dolichovespula saxonica

Saxon Wasp male?
Saxon Wasp male?
Saxon Wasp male?
This wasp was in my garden one summer, feeding alongside Common Wasps. Thought to be a Saxon Wasp male (smooth, regular-banded body). Saxon Wasps began colonising the UK only in the late 1980s. They are native to much of continental Europe and Central and northern Asia.
Saxon Wasp? with Common Wasp Saxon Wasp with Common Wasp.
Saxon Wasp nest Saxon Wasp workers building their nest (see link below).
Saxon Wasp nest Saxon Wasp construction worker.
Like Median Wasps, they have yellow at the base of the antenna and often have more black in the body. The face has a minimalist dark anchor shape, well-detached from the yellow top, or a small vertical mark with slight upturned moustache. The rear of the thorax has only two yellow bars (or one broken bar, if you prefer). Workers are 1-1.5cm long and the male about 1.5cm.