Also sometimes listed as hybrid yellowjacket. Yellowjackets can be tough to ID, and it is thanks to Bug Guide that this one was identified. According to their information: "Vespula flavopilosa is a somewhat recently discovered species, but so far all known data point to the fact that the species is probably not capable of founding their own colonies. Lone queens during spring will search out young colonies of V. maculifrons or V. alascensis to usurp (Social Parasitism)."