The tree wasp (Dolichovespula sylvestris) is a species of eusocial wasp in the Vespidae family from the temperate regions of Eurasia and is particularly common in western Europe. Despite being called the tree wasp, it builds both aerial and underground paper nests, and can be found in rural and urban habitats. D. sylvestris is a medium-sized wasp that has yellow and black stripes and a black dot in the center of its clypeus. It is most common to see this wasp between May and September during its 3.5 month colony cycle. This wasp participates in worker-policing and has a haplodiploid sex determination system which results in a high level of relatedness within the colony. The workers will take over all of the foraging from the queen once the first workers reach adulthood and typically forage