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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 » Vespidae » Paper Wasps (Polistinae) » Umbrella Paper Wasps (Polistes) » Subgenus Fuscopolistes (Polistes Subgenus Fuscopolistes) » Golden Paper Wasp (Polistes aurifer)
Photo#176940
Polistes aurifer 01 - Polistes aurifer - female
Copyright © 2008 Karl Volkman

Polistes aurifer 01 - Polistes aurifer - Female
Republic, Ferry County, Washington, USA
April 13, 2008
Size: ~18mm
A fair sized Polistes ?queen?
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Contributed by Karl Volkman on 14 April, 2008 - 2:03am
Last updated 5 May, 2008 - 12:19pm

looks like a
Polistes aurifer to me... probably a queen.
… Vespula Vulgaris, 14 April, 2008 - 10:35am login or register to post comments

 
Polistes aurifer.
I agree with the species ID. It is my understanding, though, that Polistes do not have true, dimorphic "queens." Any female can become a foundress and begin a nest.
… Eric R. Eaton, 14 April, 2008 - 1:10pm login or register to post comments

 
true...
but not just any female can be a queen. i have tried to let workers of P. exclamans hibernate... and they made it through the winter but did NOT mate or show any sighns of nesting once they awoke
… Vespula Vulgaris, 14 April, 2008 - 4:31pm login or register to post comments

 
Mating
Do you find exclamans males in the spring?? Normally mating takes place in the fall and males do not hibernate (P. annularis is an exception; I don't know what is going on in very warm areas like Florida or Arizona).
… Matthias Buck, 14 April, 2008 - 5:14pm login or register to post comments

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