Back Duitse perdeby Afrikaans زنبور ألماني Arabic زنبور المانى ARZ Vespula germanica AST Vespula germanica Catalan Vespula germanica CEB Vosa útočná Czech Dakòwô łasëca CSB Deutsche Wespe German Vespula germanica Spanish
| German wasp | |
|---|---|
| |
| Near Swifts Creek, Victoria | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Vespidae |
| Genus: | Vespula |
| Species: | V. germanica
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| Binomial name | |
| Vespula germanica (Fabricius, 1793)
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| Distribution map of European wasp blue : native, red : introduced | |
Vespula germanica, 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.