Yellow Jacket

May 29, 2026

Sample information
Picture
Entry by: Sebastian G.
Location
Collection date 04/22/2026
Captive / Cultivated? Wild-caught
Group Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Observations

This bug was captured outdoors near Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia. It has a large, chunky body and big eyes. For DNA extraction, black slime extracted from the abdomen was used.
Putative identification Arthropoda Insecta Hymenoptera Vespidae Vespula Vespula squamosa

Methods
Extraction kit DNeasy (Qiagen) blood and tissue kit
DNA extraction location Abdomen
Single or Duplex PCR Single Reaction
Gel electrophoresis system MiniPCR
Buffer TBE
DNA stain SYBR-SAFE
Gel images
Protocol notes

Results
Wolbachia presence No
Confidence level Medium
Explanation of confidence level

My sample seems to have no Wolbachia band, but my group’s controls failed, leading me to have low confidence in saying there is no Wolbachia presence.
Wolbachia 16S sequence
Arthropod COI sequence Download FASTA    Download AB1
AGGAGCTTCTATAAGAATAATTATTCGATTAGAATTAAGATCCCCCGGAGCTTTAATTGGAAATGATCAAATTTATAATACTATTATTACTGCTCATGCATTTGTAATAATTTTTTTTATAGTTATGCCTTTCTTAATGGGAGGATTTGGAAATTGATTAATTCCTTTAATACTGGGAGTTCCAGATATAGCATTTCCTCGAATAAATAATATAAGATTCTGACTTTTACCCCCATCATTATTCCTCTTAATTTTAAGAAATTTTATTGGAACAGGAATGGGAACTGGATGAACTCTTTATCCTCCTCTTTCTTCTATTACTGGCCATGATTCACCACCANTAAATTTAAGAATTTTTTCTATCCATATGGCGG
BLAST at The Wolbachia Project   BLAST at NCBI
Summary The Vespula squamosa was found to be negative for Wolbachia.
Report Inappropriate Post