Colonies have been propagated and transplanted into fields to decrease pest populations. Paper wasps forage for caterpillars and other insects and thus are excellent natural control agents of many crop pests. Unlike vespine wasps, no queen-worker size dimorphism occurs in paper wasps. After the workers emerge, one foundress usually becomes the primary reproductive or queen. The annual colonies are initiated by a single foundress or a group of foundresses that compete for reproductive dominance. Most colonies are small, with fewer than 100 adults and 100–200 cells. Some species such as P. exclamans prefer nesting in exposed sites on structures, while others like the red wasp ( P. rubiginosus) usually nest in concealed sites such as wall voids, inside roof eaves, and in attics. More natural nesting sites include trees, shrubs, and cliff overhangs. Their nests can be found under roof eaves and window sills around door frames and inside garages, storage buildings, clothesline poles, bird houses, wall voids, and attics. Several species tend to nest near or on buildings and as such come in frequent contact with people. Polistes wasps construct paper nests consisting of a single comb with no envelope ( Fig. 22.19). They can be most certainly distinguished from yellowjackets by the shape of the anterior-most segment of the gaster, which slopes gradually to the wasp waist in Polistes, whereas it is truncated abruptly in the vespines. ![]() ![]() Paper wasps are usually longer and have more slender bodies than yellowjackets. Some paper wasps, such as P. exclamans and the invasive P. dominula, are improperly called “yellowjackets” due to their alternating bands of yellow and dark-brown or black markings on their gaster. Paper wasps are the most common stinging wasps encountered by humans in the southern United States, especially during the summer months. Landolt, in Medical and Veterinary Entomology (Third Edition), 2019 Paper Wasps ( Polistes spp.)
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