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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Vespoidea » Hornets, Yellowjackets; Paper, Potter, Mason, and Pollen Wasps; and Allies (Vespidae) » Paper Wasps (Polistinae) » Umbrella Paper Wasps (Polistes) » Subgenus Fuscopolistes (Polistes Subgenus Fuscopolistes) » Coarse-backed Red Paper Wasp (Polistes rubiginosus)
Photo#104742
Large wasp - Polistes rubiginosus - female
Copyright © 2007 Bobby Grizzard

Large wasp - Polistes rubiginosus - Female
Austin, Travis County, Texas, USA
April 22, 2006
Size: body at least 1"
This large wasp appeared totally alone. Not sure what it was doing, but it looked busy. Maybe getting ready to build a nest? Not sure if I've ever seen one this large that looked like this. I would guess Polistes carolina if I knew anything about wasps, but I don't :)

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Large wasp - Polistes rubiginosus - female Large wasp - Polistes rubiginosus Large wasp - Polistes rubiginosus Large wasp - Polistes rubiginosus - female
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Contributed by Bobby Grizzard on 22 April, 2007 - 7:44pm
Last updated 4 February, 2009 - 4:23pm

Moved
Moved from Polistes perplexus.
… E Moon, 2 September, 2008 - 11:17am login or register to post comments

Very close!
I 'think' this is Polistes perplexus, which was once considered a synonym of P. carolina. I keyed out some specimens I collected in Missouri that all turned out to be P. perplexus. In P. carolina, the space between the eye and jaws (oculomalar space) is supposed to be rather shiny, in contrast to the duller "cheek" behind the eye (gena). They look concolorous in your specimen here.
… Eric R. Eaton, 23 April, 2007 - 4:41pm login or register to post comments

 
Polistes perplexus
The strong propodeal ridging is an additional character for perplexus, seen here on one of the images.
… Matthias Buck, 12 June, 2007 - 3:13pm login or register to post comments

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