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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 Polistes (Polistes Subgenus Polistes) » European Paper Wasp (Polistes dominula)
Photo#317853
Hornet or Wasp? - Polistes dominula
Copyright © 2009 Hilma Anderson

Hornet or Wasp? - Polistes dominula
Franklin, Oakland County, Michigan, USA
August 6, 2009
Found this wasp (or hornet) munching on this prey it has. I can't tell if it's a wasp or hornet and what kind. Please ID for me.
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Contributed by Hilma Anderson on 9 August, 2009 - 8:49pm
Last updated 29 January, 2010 - 8:28pm

Moved
Moved from ID Request.
… Charley Eiseman, 14 September, 2009 - 12:26am login or register to post comments

Paper wasp
I think this is the European Paper Wasp, Polistes dominula.

Several kinds of wasp are called hornets in America. Some of their very close relatives are called yellowjackets. Common usage of "wasp", "hornet", and "yellowjacket" is not precise, unlike the distinction between "wasp" and "fly" which is pretty clear most of the time. (Quite clear in biology, but sometimes the word "fly" creeps into the common name for something that isn't technically a fly. Latin names were invented to let scientists be more precise notwithstanding common use.)
… John F. Carr, 9 August, 2009 - 9:41pm login or register to post comments

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