The dark-waist paper wasp is a fairly large paper wasp, about 3/4–1 in (20–26 mm) long, native to East Asia, including Japan, Korea, and China. It is not found in the US. In Japan it often builds its paper nest under house eaves, much like the paper wasps on American porches, and it hunts caterpillars.
Appearance
- Appearance
- Mostly black with yellowish-brown markings on the face and bands on the abdomen. The thorax looks dark from above, and the tips of the legs are yellow.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- fields
- forest edges
- around houses
- Range
- Native to East Asia, including Korea, Japan, and China. It has not been recorded in the US.
- Preferred conditions
- In Japan it often nests under eaves and in other spots sheltered from rain.
Behavior
- Diet
- Mainly caterpillars, including those of swallowtail butterflies and spongy moths. The wasps chew prey into a ball and carry it back to feed their larvae.
- Social life
- Queens and workers look alike. Most nests are started by a single queen. Workers sort out rank by biting and chasing, and older workers usually dominate younger ones.
- Overwintering
- Only mated females survive the winter, hiding in tree trunks or other sheltered spots.
Life cycle
- Breeding season
- In Japan, queens wake from winter dormancy in late March and start nests from mid-April to early May. Workers appear in summer, then new queens and males. Mating takes place in fall.
- Nest
- A comb made of chewed plant fibers mixed with saliva. In the queen's first brood, two larvae are sometimes raised in one cell.
Cautions
- Cautions
- It can sting, and for some people a sting can cause a severe allergic reaction ().
Name and classification
- About the name
- It was once also called Polistes jadwigae, a name now treated as a synonym.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
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