Vespidae Diversity and Seasonality in Apple and Peach Orchards of North Georgia, USA

Georgia produces a variety of fruits including both peaches and apples at considerable economic value while supporting abundant insect biodiversity. Although pollinator research in southeastern orchards has primarily emphasized bees, the roles of wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) remain poorly studied despite their potential as predators, pollinators, bioindicators, and management concerns. We surveyed vespid communities in adjacent apple and peach orchards at 3 commercial farm sites in northern Georgia from 2023–2025 using Malaise traps across spring, summer, and fall sampling periods. A total of 287 individuals representing 11 species in 4 genera were collected. The community was dominated by Vespula maculifrons (Bursson), which comprised ∼75% of specimens, while Dolichovespula maculata (L.), V. squamosa (Drury), D. arenaria (F.), and V. flavopilosa (Jakobson) collectively accounted for most of the remaining individuals. Total abundance varied by site, season, and crop, with peach orchards supporting higher summer abundance and apple orchards higher fall abundance. Species richness and diversity peaked in summer, when multiple Dolichovespula and Polistes species appeared, whereas spring and fall were strongly dominated by V. maculifrons. Indicator species analysis identified D. maculata and D. arenaria as summer-associated taxa. Queen captures revealed distinct phenologies, with V. maculifrons emerging earliest and most abundantly, followed by later-appearing D. maculata and V. squamosa. These results provide a preliminary community-level assessment of social wasps in Georgia orchards, highlighting both their potential contributions to pest suppression and pollination and their risks as fruit pests and safety hazards. Systematic monitoring of vespids will be essential for integrating their ecological roles into orchard management strategies.