Paper Wasp (Native)

§ Quick facts

§ Encyclopedia

Paper wasps are a type of social vespid wasps. The term is typically used to refer to members of the vespid subfamily Polistinae, though it often colloquially includes members of the subfamilies Vespinae and Stenogastrinae, which also make nests out of paper.

Source: Wikipedia — Paper wasp · Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

§ Identification

Field marks. Slender brown-yellow wasp; thread-like waist between thorax and abdomen; legs often hang down during flight; six legs ending in claws.

Similar species. Multiple Polistes species (Northern, European introduced, etc.). Yellowjackets (different; ground or cavity nests, more aggressive). Hornets (much larger; different nests).

Voice. Wing buzz during flight.

§ Diet & behavior

Diet. Adults: nectar, fruit juices, small insects. Larvae: chewed insect prey provided by adults.

Behavior. Native paper wasps construct distinctive open-comb nests under eaves, in shrubs, or in hollow stems. Highly beneficial garden allies — single colony can consume thousands of caterpillars and other pest insects in a season. Generally non-aggressive; only sting in defense of nests. Northern populations (Polistes fuscatus) have been shown to recognize individual faces of other paper wasps, an ability matched only by primates and some other social vertebrates.

§ Range

Across North America

§ Habitat

Diverse habitats

§ Threats

Pesticide drift.

§ Conservation status

According to the IUCN Red List, the paper wasp (native) is currently classified as Least Concern.

§ What helps

Tolerate paper wasps.

§ Further reading

• Wikipedia — Paper wasp
• www.nwf.org — authoritative profile of Polistes sp.
• iNaturalist · taxon 61563
• IUCN Red List — search for Polistes sp.
• GBIF occurrence records
• Encyclopedia of Life — Polistes sp.

§ Sources cited

• BugGuide
• Cornell Lab of Ornithology Behavior
• iNaturalist