PAPER WASP

(Polistes), any of a worldwide genus of insects of the family Vespidae (order Hymenoptera). A striking-looking wasp, about 16 millimetres long, it has orange antennae, wings, and tarsi; the body is jet black with narrow yellow bands and paired segmental spots. The sting is painful but less toxic to humans than that of the more familiar species of wasps and hornets (Vespa, Vespula). The nest is made of a paperlike material, fashioned from wood which the females have chewed and mixed with saliva to form a paste. There are about 100 cells for larvae in a single nest, which is attached by a short stalk to some sort of protective overhang.