Guinea Paper Wasp
Polistes exclamans
Insecta
COMMON
Stats
- Lifespan
- A few weeks
- Size
- Medium
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Social
- Colony
- Biome
- Temperate grassland
- Range
- North America
- Movement
- Flight
- Breeding
- Egg-laying
- Defense
- Venom
- Status
- Common
About
The Guinea paper wasp builds open, umbrella-shaped nests from chewed wood pulp, hanging them from eaves, branches, and sheltered surfaces across North America. Each spring a single overwintered queen founds the colony alone, constructing the first cells herself before her workers take over.
Life cycle
- 1.eggA small egg is laid on or near the larval food source and hatches within days or weeks.
- 2.juvenileAn immature insect feeds and molts, growing through successive instars.
- 3.subadultA near-adult insect has wing buds or near-mature form, one molt away from full size.
- 4.adultFully grown, with full wings and adult coloration.
Learn more
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Hymenoptera
- Family
- Vespidae
- Genus
- Polistes
- Species
- Polistes exclamans