Paper wasp
429555
226138446
2008-07-17T00:07:23Z
Dyanega
1357080
unfortunately, the name is dominula (sigh)
[[Image:Wasp colony.jpg|thumb|right|300px|A young paper wasp queen (''[[Polistes dominula]]'') starting a new colony]]
'''Paper wasps''' are 3/4 [[inch]] to 1 inch (2-2.5 [[Centimetre|cm]])-long [[wasp]]s that gather [[fiber]]s from dead wood and plant stems, which they mix with [[saliva]], and use to construct water-resistant nests that appear to be made of gray or brown papery material. Paper wasps are also sometimes called '''umbrella wasps''', due to the distinctive design of their nests.<ref name=enc>[http://www.everythingabout.net/articles/biology/animals/arthropods/insects/wasps/paper_wasp/ "Paper Wasp" ] Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2006.</ref>
[[Image:Wasp May 2008-11.jpg|thumb|left|250px|This young paper wasp (''[[Polistes dominula]]'') is preparing to take off. With her four sisters, she belongs to the first generation of the colony at right]]
The name "paper wasps" typically refers to members of the [[Vespidae|vespid]] subfamily [[Polistinae]], though it often ''colloquially'' includes members of the subfamilies [[Vespinae]] ([[hornet]]s and [[yellowjacket]]s) and [[Stenogastrinae]], which also make nests out of paper. Twenty-two species of ''[[Polistes]]'' paper wasps have been identified in [[North America]] and approximately 300 species have been identified world-wide. The [[Old World]] tribe [[Ropalidiini]] contains another 300 species, and the [[Neotropical]] tribes [[Epiponini]] and [[Mischocyttarini]] each contain over 250 more, so the total number of true paper wasps worldwide is about 1100 species, nearly half of which can be found in the Neotropics.
The nests of most true paper wasps are characterized by having open combs with cells for brood rearing, and a ''[[Petiole (insect)|petiole]]'', or constricted stalk, that [[wikt:anchor|anchors]] the nest (see image, right).<ref name= OSU>W.F. Lyon and G.S. Wegner (1991) [http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2077.html Paper Wasps and Hornets] Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet: Entomology</ref> Paper wasps secrete a chemical which repels [[ants]], which they spread around the base of the anchor to prevent the loss of eggs or [[offspring|brood]].
Most social [[wasp]]s of the family Vespidae make nests from paper; although some [[Stenogastrinae|stenogastrine]] species, such as ''[[Liostenogaster flavolineata]]'', use [[mud]]. A small group of [[eusocial]] [[Crabronidae|crabronid]] wasps, of the genus ''[[Microstigmus]]'' (the only eusocial wasps outside the family Vespidae), also construct nests out of chewed plant fibers, though the nest consistency is quite different from those of true paper wasps, due to the absence of wood fibers, and the use of silk to bind the fibers.<ref>R.W. Matthews, C.K. Starr [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0006-3606%28198403%2916%3A1%3C55%3AMCWHAM%3E2.0.CO%3B2-D&size=LARGE Microstigmus comes Wasps have a Method of Nest Construction Unique Among Social Insects] ''Biotropica'', Vol. 16, No. 1 (Mar., 1984), pp. 55-58 doi:10.2307/2387895</ref>
Unlike [[yellowjacket]]s and [[hornet]]s, which can be very defensive, polistine paper wasps will generally only attack if the nest is threatened.{{Fact|date=April 2007}} Since their territoriality can lead to attacks on persons, and because their stings are quite painful and can produce a potentially fatal [[anaphylactic]] reaction in some individuals, nests in human-inhabited areas may present an unacceptable hazard.<ref name=Texas>Drees, B.M. and John Jackman (1999) ''Field Guide to Texas Insects'', Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, Texas. Excerpt available at: [http://insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/cimg348.html Texas Cooperative extension]</ref>
Most wasps are beneficial in their natural habitat, and are critically important in natural biocontrol.<ref name= OSU/> Paper wasps feed on [[nectar]], and other insects, including [[caterpillar]]s, [[flies]] and [[beetle]] [[larvae]], and they are often considered to be beneficial by gardeners.<ref name=Texas/>
==References==
<references/>
== See also ==
* [[Biocontrol]]
* [[Schmidt Sting Pain Index]]
* [[Polistes]]
<gallery perrow="6">
Image:Polistes biglumis bimaculatus female nest.jpg|Female ''[[Polistes biglumis bimaculatus]]'' wasp tending to a nest. A long, black ''[[Petiole (insect)|petiole]]'', by which the nest is attached to the branch, is quite apparent
Image:Wasps Building Nest 01.jpg|Closeup of several slender, narrow-waisted paper wasps (the wings are folded back while at rest).
Image:Polistes closeup 7418.jpg|Closeup of a paper wasp and nest
Image:Ropalidia.jpg|A paper wasp (''[[Ropalidia]]'' sp.) nest
Image:PaperWaspNest.jpg|Paper wasps attending to a nest. [[Larvae]] at two stages of development are visible in cells
Image:polistes_dominulus_1.jpg|Paper Wasp</br> ''[[Polistes dominula]]'' </br>Nectaring on [[milkweed]]
Image:Polistes-lateral-mze.jpg|''[[Polistes dominula]]''
Image:Wasp building nest.jpg|A Western Paper Wasp (Mischocyttarus flavitarsis)
Image:polistes_fuscatus.jpg|Paper Wasp - ''[[Polistes fuscatus]]''
</gallery>
[[Category:Vespoidea]]
[[Category:Biological pest control agents]]
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