Skip to main content
Today is National Trails Day!
Close

Paper Wasp

Photo by Ava T-B
Published on Project Noah
Zoom
NominateNominate for Wildlife Photograph of the Month
reportFlag Spotting

32.7153, -117.157

Field Notes

Description:

This is a Polistes wasp, but I have no idea which species.

Habitat:

hanging from the rafters of my front porch.

Notes:

Happy to have them as they are beneficial in the garden.

Reference Links:

Polistes

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (10)
Ava T-B
Team Brinez 2 it was just over my front door. It was never a problem till my brother-in-law came to live with us. They liked him and would land on his shoulder and come into the house with him. So i had the nest humanely removed.
Adam Braz tb2
Wow nice shot.=D hope that nest wasn't attached to your house!
Ava T-B
@Emma, I'm assuming that the white balls are egg sacs. But someone who knows for sure could chime in and let us know. This particular wasp nest was removed by the man I buy local honey from and taken to his garden. They had started landing on my (very musky) brother-in-law who was living with us. I still have other wasp's nests further from the front door.
HemaShah
@ Ava ,that is a neat fact!! What are those white stuff?
Ava T-B
Paper wasps recognize each other's faces! http://earthsky.org/biodiversity/paper-wasps-recognize-other-wasps-faces
SharonW446
I'm not positive on aurifer. I don't think it's exclamans because exclamans have dark antennae with orange tips. In this photo these seem to have all orange antennae.
The MnMs
Could it be Polistes exclamans? it looks a lot like a spotting I recently did in Mexico..but then again these paper wasps look a lot alike. For sure is Polistes though.
SharonW446
Very nice! I think it's Polistes aurifer which is orange in the southern most part of California and black everywhere else in California. http://bugguide.net/node/view/24972/bgimage
Ava T-B
They're bigger in the picture than they are in life, and they completely ignored us almost all of the time.

Spotted for Missions

Mission
WILD Cities: Urban Biodiversity
Mission
Southern California Wildlife
Mission
Nests, hives, bowers, webs & other animal architecture
Photographed
PublishedAugust 29, 2011

Community Sponsor

Butterfly
Become a Community Sponsor and Help Grow our Global Movement!

Accelerate our Mission to Photograph 
Every Species in the World!

Butterflies icon
Become a Community Sponsor

Wildlife Community

Wildlife Community

Join a worldwide community passionate about wildlife and nature!

Join Project Noah

Nature School

Nature School

Transform your green space into a curiosity-creating nature classroom!

Visit Nature School

Wildlife Game

Wildlife Game

Defend wildlife throughout the jungle in thrilling nature game!

Play Baboon

Nature & Conservation Organizations

Brands & Mission-Focused Companies