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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#419410
P. fuscatus... ? - Polistes rubiginosus - female
Copyright © 2010 Vespula Vulgaris

P. fuscatus... ? - Polistes rubiginosus - Female
Perry County, Pennsylvania, USA
June 30, 2010
If you ask me, these red morphs are just way too suspicious... The wings are even a different color.

I don't think it has anything to do with temperature either. There is a colony of very dark fuscatus living a foot away from this one in the same nesting situation (i.e. same temperature)

It would be interesting if there was something more going on here; this is not the first time I have found these red wasps
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Contributed by Vespula Vulgaris on 30 June, 2010 - 4:00pm
Last updated 22 January, 2013 - 3:33pm

Likely P. rubiginosus (= perplexus)
Moved from Northern Paper Wasp. A very dark form but not too surprising this far north. See also my comments under this image:
… Matthias Buck, 22 January, 2013 - 3:33pm login or register to post comments

 
Cool!
I have a photo of the mother of this individual, if you would also like me to share that. She is a bit darker
… Vespula Vulgaris, 22 January, 2013 - 4:29pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Frass.

Another individual hatched on the same nest and has a typical fuscatus color pattern. Will keep this in the guide for future reference
… Vespula Vulgaris, 8 July, 2010 - 7:40pm login or register to post comments

Frassed
Moved from Polistes.
… Vespula Vulgaris, 8 July, 2010 - 7:39pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from ID Request.
… Vespula Vulgaris, 4 July, 2010 - 8:09am login or register to post comments

Different species?
Could the red ones be a different species, perhaps P. carolina or P. perplexus?
… John Stanard, 2 July, 2010 - 9:51am login or register to post comments

 
carolina and perplexus...
are not supposed to occur in PA
… Vespula Vulgaris, 2 July, 2010 - 1:28pm login or register to post comments

 
And...
I've never seen any P. carolina or perplexus with this much black on them.
… Breanna Lyle, 2 July, 2010 - 11:01pm login or register to post comments

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