German wasp
Vespula germanica (Fabricius, 1793)
Status not recordedbees wasps and ants
The german wasp (Vespula germanica), also called the European wasp or German yellowjacket, is a living insect in the family Vespidae, subfamily Vespinae, within the order Hymenoptera. It falls in the tiny size class, with a body length of 1.3 cm and an adult body mass of 0.0741 g, with reported values from 0.0645 g to 0.0837 g.
Quick facts about the german wasp
Its lifespan is given as 17 days, with reported values from 12 to 22 days.
- Weight
- 64.5 mg – 83.7 mgsrc for Weight
- Length
- 1.3 cmsrc for Length
- Lifespan
- 0.0329 years – 0.0602 yearssrc for Lifespan
- Main food
- Not recorded
- Habitat
- Not recorded
- Young per litter or clutch
- Not recorded
- Conservation status
- Not recorded
- Countries on record
- Not recorded
How big is the german wasp?
Photos of the german wasp
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Where does the german wasp live?
Not recorded
What is the german wasp?
Vespula germanica, known colloquially as the European wasp, German wasp, or German yellowjacket, is a species of wasp found in much of the Northern Hemisphere, native to Europe, Northern Africa, and temperate Asia. It has spread and become well-established in many other places, including North America, South America (Argentina and Chile), Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand. German wasps are part of the family Vespidae and are sometimes mistakenly referred to as paper wasps because they build grey paper nests, although strictly speaking, paper wasps are part of the subfamily Polistinae. In North America, they are also known as yellowjackets.
From the Wikipedia article “Vespula germanica” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vespula_germanica&oldid=1383542626), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.
Is the german wasp endangered?
No conservation assessment is recorded for this species in our sources. That is not the same as being safe: it has not been matched to an assessment.
How is the german wasp classified?
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumArthropoda
- classInsecta
- orderHymenoptera
- familyVespidae
- genusVespula
- SpeciesVespula germanica (Fabricius, 1793)
Synonyms Vespa germanica, Vespa macularis
Other names and names in other languages (46)
- European waspEnglish
- German yellowjacketEnglish
- دبور أوربيArabic
- viéspora alemanaAsturian
- WaspmBavarian
- Daitscher WappsBavarian
- Deitsche WeschpmBavarian
- WappsenBavarian
- Vespa CarnisseraCatalan
- vosa útočnáCzech
- Tysk gedehamsDanish
- Deutsche WespeGerman
- Σφήκα η γερμανικήGreek
- Avispa germánicaSpanish
- Avispa chaqueta amarilla germánicaSpanish
- Chaqueta AmarillaSpanish
- Täpik-maaherilaneEstonian
- saksanampiainenFinnish
- Guêpe européenneFrench
- Guêpe germaniqueFrench
- צרעה גרמניתHebrew
- Német darázsHungarian
- HúsageitungurIcelandic
- Vespa di terraItalian
- ヨーロッパクロスズメバチJapanese
- 독일땅벌Korean
- Germaninė vapsvaLithuanian
- Pi WaikatoMāori
- Tysk vepsNorwegian Bokmål
- Duitse wespDutch
- Osa dachowaPolish
- Vespa-europeiaPortuguese
- Vespa germânicaPortuguese
- Vespa-alemãPortuguese
- Германская осаRussian
- Оса германскаяRussian
- osa útočnáSlovak
- nemška osaSlovenian
- Немачка осаSerbian
- husgetingSwedish
- tyskgetingSwedish
- ต่อเยอรมันThai
- Alman Sarı CeketliTurkish
- Оса німецькаUkrainian
- 德国黄胡蜂Chinese
- 德國黃胡蜂Chinese
Relatives of the german wasp
Other species in the same genus Vespula.
Common wasp
Vespula vulgaris
Red-banded yellowjacket
Vespula rufa
Cuckoo wasp
Vespula austriaca
Common Asian yellowjacket
Vespula flaviceps
Western yellowjacket
Vespula pensylvanica
Eastern yellowjacket
Vespula maculifrons
CompareGerman wasp vs Common waspGerman wasp vs Red-banded yellowjacketGerman wasp vs Cuckoo waspGerman wasp vs Common Asian yellowjacket
Common questions
Each answer is written from the sourced facts on this page, and only where they hold the answer.
What kind of animal is the german wasp?
The german wasp is an insect in the family Vespidae and the order Hymenoptera.
What is the scientific name of the german wasp?
Its scientific name is Vespula germanica, in the genus Vespula.
Who named Vespula germanica?
The species name is credited as (Fabricius, 1793).
How big is the german wasp?
The german wasp has a body length of 1.3 cm and falls in the tiny size class.
How much does a german wasp weigh?
An adult German wasp weighs 0.0741 g, with reported values from 0.0645 g to 0.0837 g.
How long does a german wasp live?
Its lifespan is given as 17 days, with reported values from 12 to 22 days.
What other names does the german wasp have?
It is also called the European wasp and the German yellowjacket.
Sources and how to cite this page
Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.
- Catalogue of Life eXtended Release · CC BY 4.0 · 2026-10-16 XR
Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf - Wikimedia Commons · per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed) · 2026-11-11
Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence). - Wikidata · CC0 1.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service). - Wikipedia (English) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).
Embed a card for this animal on your own site
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CreatureData. (2026). German wasp (Vespula germanica). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/german-wasp
“German wasp (Vespula germanica).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/german-wasp.
@misc{german_wasp_2026,
title = {German wasp (Vespula germanica)},
author = {{CreatureData}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/german-wasp},
note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}