Paper Wasp (2 of 2)
Polistes humilis
Family Vespidae
Order: Hymenoptera
Paper wasps are found throughout Australia and has been introduced to the northern parts of New Zealand.
In this photograph the queen wasp has laid two eggs which have been placed in the two chambers of this small nest.
The nest, comprising of a series of cones, is made from wood fibres, mixed with saliva to create a paper-like nest wall.
When the eggs hatch, the larvae are fed with chewed-up caterpillars. When the larvae are fully grown, the cells are sealed up and the larvae pupate. The newly emerged wasps then get to work building more cells to the nest, into which the queen then lays more eggs.
They are generally not aggressive and are not usually a threat to humans. It is thought that they recognise and tolerate humans who are frequent passers-by. However if their nest is threatened, they will attack an intruder. I have been stung on the face by several wasps when I accidentally disturbed a large nest. The stings are painful!!!
P.S. This super momma went on the expand her nest to maybe 100 cells and we now, in April 2022 have dozens of offspring flying around in the vicinity of the original nest, looking for their own place to set up home!
Etymology:
Polistes: The genus name Polistes is derived from the Greek word polistēs, meaning "founder of a city". This reflects the nest-building behavior of wasps in this genus.
-idae: The suffix -idae is a standard taxonomic ending in zoological nomenclature used to denote a family. It comes from Greek -idai, used to indicate descent, signifying a group or lineage in taxonomy.
DSC09280_DSC09293
Paper Wasp (2 of 2)
Polistes humilis
Family Vespidae
Order: Hymenoptera
Paper wasps are found throughout Australia and has been introduced to the northern parts of New Zealand.
In this photograph the queen wasp has laid two eggs which have been placed in the two chambers of this small nest.
The nest, comprising of a series of cones, is made from wood fibres, mixed with saliva to create a paper-like nest wall.
When the eggs hatch, the larvae are fed with chewed-up caterpillars. When the larvae are fully grown, the cells are sealed up and the larvae pupate. The newly emerged wasps then get to work building more cells to the nest, into which the queen then lays more eggs.
They are generally not aggressive and are not usually a threat to humans. It is thought that they recognise and tolerate humans who are frequent passers-by. However if their nest is threatened, they will attack an intruder. I have been stung on the face by several wasps when I accidentally disturbed a large nest. The stings are painful!!!
P.S. This super momma went on the expand her nest to maybe 100 cells and we now, in April 2022 have dozens of offspring flying around in the vicinity of the original nest, looking for their own place to set up home!
Etymology:
Polistes: The genus name Polistes is derived from the Greek word polistēs, meaning "founder of a city". This reflects the nest-building behavior of wasps in this genus.
-idae: The suffix -idae is a standard taxonomic ending in zoological nomenclature used to denote a family. It comes from Greek -idai, used to indicate descent, signifying a group or lineage in taxonomy.
DSC09280_DSC09293