Paper wasps are vespid wasps that gather fibers from dead wood and plant stems, which they mix with

saliva Saliva (commonly referred to as spit) is an extracellular fluid produced and secreted by salivary glands in the mouth. In humans, saliva is around 99% water, plus electrolytes, mucus, white blood cells, epithelial cells (from which DNA can be ...

, and use to construct nests made of gray or brown papery material. Some types of paper wasps are also sometimes called umbrella wasps, due to the distinctive design of their nests."Paper Wasp"
Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2006.

Species

The name "paper wasps" typically refers to members of the vespid subfamily Polistinae, though it often colloquially includes members of the subfamilies Vespinae ( hornets and yellowjackets) and

Stenogastrinae The Stenogastrinae are a subfamily of social wasps included in the family Vespidae. They are sometimes called hover wasps owing to the particular hovering flight of some species. Their morphology and biology present interesting peculiarities. S ...

, which also make nests out of paper. Twenty-two species of '' Polistes'' paper wasps have been identified in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

and approximately 300 species have been identified worldwide. The most common paper wasp in Europe is '' Polistes dominula''. The

Old World The "Old World" is a term for Afro-Eurasia that originated in Europe , after Europeans became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia, which were previously thought of by the ...

tribe

Ropalidiini Ropalidiini is a tribe of social wasps inhabiting the Afrotropical, Indomalayan and Australasian biogeographical regions. Genera and selected species *'' Belonogaster'' **'' Belonogaster juncea'' ( Fabricius, 1781) **''Belonogaster petiolata' ...

contains another 300 species, and the Neotropical tribes Epiponini and

Mischocyttarini ''Mischocyttarus'' is a very large, primarily Neotropical genus of social wasps with a few species found also in the Nearctic region. It is the only member of the tribe Mischocyttarini; the asymmetrical tarsal lobes of ''Mischocyttarus'' separa ...

each contain over 250 more, so the total number of true paper wasps worldwide is about 1100 species, almost half of which can be found in the neotropics.

Nests

The nests of most true paper wasps are characterized by having open combs with cells for brood rearing, and a ' petiole', or constricted stalk, that attaches the nest to a branch or other structure.Lyon, W.F. and G.S. Wegner (1991)
Paper Wasps and Hornets
Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet: Entomology Paper wasps secrete a chemical which repels ants, which they spread around the base of the anchor to prevent the loss of eggs or brood. Most social wasps of the family Vespidae make nests from paper, but some

stenogastrine The Stenogastrinae are a subfamily of social wasps included in the family Vespidae. They are sometimes called hover wasps owing to the particular hovering flight of some species. Their morphology and biology present interesting peculiarities. S ...

species, such as ''

Liostenogaster flavolineata ''Liostenogaster flavolineata'' (tropical hover wasp) is an insect that belongs to the wasp family Vespidae. This hairy-faced hover wasp species is predominantly found in South Asian rain forests, especially in Malaysia. Individual colonies of ...

'', use

mud A MUD (; originally multi-user dungeon, with later variants multi-user dimension and multi-user domain) is a Multiplayer video game, multiplayer Time-keeping systems in games#Real-time, real-time virtual world, usually Text-based game, text-bas ...

. A small group of eusocial crabronid wasps, of the genus ''

Microstigmus The thin-waisted social wasps (genus ''Microstigmus''), which typically reside in Neotropical regions from Central to South America, are a small genus of wasps that build nests and live in colonies ranging in size from 1 to 18 members. ''Microsti ...

'' (the only eusocial wasps outside the family Vespidae), also constructs nests out of chewed plant fibers, though the nest consistency is quite different from those of true paper wasps, due to the absence of wood fibers, and the use of silk extruded by female wasps to bind the fibers. Nests can be found in sheltered areas, such as the eaves of a house, the branches of a tree, on the end of an open pipe, or on an old clothesline. Some species, such as ''

Ropalidia romandi ''Ropalidia romandi'', also known as the yellow brown paper wasp or the yellow paper wasp. is a species of paper wasp found in Northern and Eastern Australia. ''R. romandi ''is a swarm-founding wasp, and manages perennial nests. Its nests are kn ...

'', will vary their nest architecture depending on where they build their nest. Three species of '' Polistes'' are obligate social parasites, and have lost the ability to build their own nests, and are sometimes referred to as "

cuckoo paper wasp The name cuckoo paper wasp refers to a monophyletic species group of brood-parasitic paper wasps in the genus ''Polistes''. This species group contains only four species; ''Polistes atrimandibularis'', '' P. austroccidentalis'', '' P. maroccanus'' ...

s". They rely on the nests of their hosts to raise their brood.Dapporto L, Cervo R, Sledge MF, Turillazzi S (2004) "Rank integration in dominance hierarchies of host colonies by the paper wasp social parasite ''Polistes sulcifer'' (Hymenoptera, Vespidae)". ''J Insect Physiol'' 50 :217–223 A few hornets and yellowjackets are also brood parasites (e.g., ''

Vespula austriaca ''Vespula austriaca'' is an obligate parasitic wasp, parasitizing the nests of other species in the genus '' Vespula'' in the Old World. Its common host species include '' V. rufa'' in Europe, Japan, and East Siberia.''V. austriaca ''wasps p ...

'').

Behavior

Unlike yellowjackets and hornets, which can be very aggressive, polistine paper wasps will generally only attack if they themselves or their nest are threatened. Their territoriality can lead to attacks on people, and their stings are quite painful and – like all venomous animals – can produce a potentially fatal anaphylactic reaction in some individuals.Drees, B.M. and John Jackman (1999). ''Field Guide to Texas Insects.'' Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, Texas. Excerpt available at
Texas Cooperative extension
A study conducted on European paper wasps (''Polistes dominula'') concluded that wasps with brighter aposematic colors are more venomous, because they have larger venom glands, and offer a stronger warning signal to organisms threatening the nest. Polistes africanus

Most wasps are beneficial in their natural habitat, and are critically important in natural biocontrol. Paper wasps feed on

nectar Nectar is a sugar-rich liquid produced by plants in glands called nectaries or nectarines, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to animal mutualists ...

and other insects, including

caterpillar Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder Sym ...

s, flies, and beetle larvae. Because they are a known

pollinator A pollinator is an animal that moves pollen from the male anther of a flower to the female stigma of a flower. This helps to bring about fertilization of the ovules in the flower by the male gametes from the pollen grains. Insects are the maj ...

and feed on known garden pests, paper wasps are often considered to be beneficial by gardeners.

References

{{Reflist

External links

National Geographic News: Wasps Can Recognize Faces.
Retrieved 2012-12-04. Biological pest control wasps Vespidae Articles containing video clips Insect common names

Species

Nests

Behavior

See also

References

External links