Dolichovespula adulterina is a species of parasitic social wasp found in the Palearctic region.

D. adulterina feeds on a variety of foods, including insects, spiders, arthropods, meat, molluscs, fruit, nectar, and larval secretions.

Females present with pairs of black discal spots on tergum 5, and occasionally on terga 3 and 4, as well.

The large, dark malar space between the eye and the yellow jaw puts this species in Dolichovespula rather than the related genus Vespula.

Sometimes, D. saxonica nests in beehives, underneath overhanging edge of roofs (sometimes up to 7 m above ground) and porches, and cavities of walls.

Furthermore, D. adulterina invades the nest of host species before the first set of workers appears, and lives alongside the queen for a time before usurping her.

The first set of workers emerges in early June and begins working on large cells mid-June.

She will then emerge and feed on nectar and malaxate arthropods until she attempts to usurp a host colony.

This is different from other inquiline species, such as V. austriaca, which attack the nest's queen immediately.

Wasps limit themselves to attacking live prey, but other species have been observed to feed on carcasses.

Members of the host nest are mainly responsible for feeding the parasitic D. adulterina larvae.

The abdominal sclerites are closer together, providing a smaller gap for incoming stingers to penetrate, thereby decreasing chances of injury.

[1] D. adulterina, along with V. austriaca, D. arctica, and D. omissa, are the only four vespine wasp species that display inquilinism.

Due to its mediocre proficiency, inquiline wasps are only able to parasitize other species that exist in small colonies and have short cycles.