Common wasp

Adult workers of the common wasp measure about 12-17 mm from head to abdomen, whereas the queen is about 20 mm long. It has aposematic colours of black and yellow and is very similar to the German wasp (or European wasp, Vespula germanica) but seen head on, its face lacks the three black dots characteristic of that species. Additionally it can be distinguished by a lack of black dots on its back (gastral terga), which are located further up and form part of the black rings on each of the abdomen's six segments. Furthermore the genal area – the part of the head to which the jaws of an insect are attached – is usually broken by black.

Each wasp colony includes one queen and a number of sterile workers. Colonies usually last only one year, with all but the queen dying at the onset of winter. New queens and males (drones) are produced towards the end of the summer, and after mating, the queen overwinters in a hole or other sheltered location, sometimes in buildings. Wasp nests are not reused from one year to the next.

It builds its grey paper nest in or on a structure capable of supporting it. Underground it often uses an abandoned mammal hole as a foundation for the site which is then enlarged by the workers. The foundress queen may also select a hollow tree, wall cavity or rock crevice for a nest site.

This common wasp collects insects including caterpillars to feed to its larvae; the adults feed on nectar and sweet fruit. Common wasps will also attempt to invade honey bee nests to steal their honey; the bees will attempt to defend their nest by stinging the wasp to death.