Yellow jacket (Dolichovespula arenaria) wasp stinger

Photomacrograph of the stinger on a common aerial yellowjacket (Dolichovespula arenaria). This species of wasp is commonly found across North America and has black and yellow colouring. Only females can sting but rarely do so if left undisturbed. Yellowjackets do not lose their stingers when they sting. The stinger shown here is 600 micrometres long.