Stats

Lifespan

Annual

Size

Large

Diet

Omnivore

Activity

Diurnal

Social

Colony

Biome

Temperate forest

Range

North America

Movement

Flight

Breeding

Egg-laying

Defense

Venom

Status

Uncommon

About

This reddish-brown wasp builds large paper nests in sheltered eastern regions. It uses facial markings to recognize individual colony members during social interactions.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   egg

   A small egg is laid on or near the larval food source and hatches within days or weeks.
2. 2.
   juvenile

   An immature insect feeds and molts, growing through successive instars.
3. 3.
   subadult

   A near-adult insect has wing buds or near-mature form, one molt away from full size.
4. 4.
   adult

   Fully grown, with full wings and adult coloration.

Learn more

• View on iNaturalist →

Taxonomy

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hymenoptera

Family

Vespidae

Genus

Polistes

Species

Polistes carolina