Species Polistes fuscatus - Northern Paper Wasp

Golden Paper Wasp, Common Paper Wasp

Latin for "dark, smoky-colored"

15 to 21 mm

Note that previous keys such as (1) do not properly separate P. fuscatus from related species.

North America, from British Columbia east to the Atlantic, and south to West Virginia. (Evans, 1963; Milne, 1980)

This information may be obsolete. There are images in Bugguide from Florida, Texas and other southern states.

Nests in woodlands and savannas. It is fairly common around human habitations, especially where exposed wood is present and can be used for nest material. (Evans, 1963; Milne, 1980)

Adult P. fuscatus feed mainly on plant nectar. The species is considered insectivores because it kills caterpillars and other small insects in order to provide food for developing larvae. Foragers collect various prey insects to feed to the larvae. The wasp then malaxates, or softens the food and in doing so absorbs most of the liquid in the food. This solid portion is given to older larvae and the liquid is regurgitated to be fed to younger larvae. (Turillazzi and West-Eberhard, 1996)

Lifespan is approximately one year, or the time it takes a queen to develop and to mate. Larvae from that are laid during the summer are well fed because of abundant food, and are capable of becoming queens. These eggs hatch before fall and the resulting offspring hibernate during fall and winter. The new queens emerge in the spring to begin nests and lay eggs. By fall, after laying eggs that will develop into new queens, these queens die. All accompanying workers and males die with the queen. (Evans, 1963; Unknown, 2001)

Species page in the Identification Atlas of the Vespidae of the Northeastern Nearctic Region. (2)

Grewal, K. 2002. "Polistes fuscatus" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web.

The Royal Society

Video of nest construction and development