Invertebrates
Paper Wasp
Polistes · also called paper wasps
Beneath a porch eave, a paper wasp colony works methodically across an open, umbrella-shaped nest, each hexagonal cell built from wood pulp the wasps themselves chewed and shaped, while a single dominant female continues holding her position through nothing more than sheer physical assertiveness.
Overview
The paper wasp, genus Polistes, is a widespread group of nest-building wasps found across temperate and tropical regions worldwide. Its distinctive open, umbrella-shaped paper nest and genuinely valuable role controlling garden caterpillar pests make it one of the more ecologically beneficial and architecturally interesting wasps most people encounter.
Leadership earned, not inherited
A paper wasp colony has no fixed royal lineage deciding who leads, instead settling the matter through direct physical contests between rival females, a genuinely more dynamic and competitive system than the inherited hierarchies found in some other social insects.
Status
Least Concern — widespread and abundant across suitable habitat in temperate and tropical regions worldwide.
Paper Wasp: common questions
How does a paper wasp build its nest?
A paper wasp builds its nest by chewing wood fibres mixed with saliva into a soft, papery pulp, which it then shapes into an open, umbrella-like structure of exposed hexagonal cells, a construction method that gives the species its common name.
How is a new paper wasp queen decided?
Within a paper wasp colony, the dominant queen position is typically established and maintained through direct physical dominance interactions between competing females rather than through any fixed, inherited rank, meaning the most successful, dominant female generally ends up leading the colony.
Are paper wasps aggressive?
A paper wasp is generally considered less aggressive than yellowjackets, typically only stinging when its nest is directly threatened or disturbed, making it less likely to sting unprovoked compared with some of its more defensive wasp relatives.
Are paper wasps helpful to have in a garden?
Yes, a paper wasp colony captures large numbers of caterpillars and other soft-bodied insect pests to feed its developing larvae, making the species a genuinely valuable natural form of pest control for gardens and farms, despite the wariness many people feel toward wasps generally.