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- This page contains pictures and information about the Paper Wasps that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.
They are also known as Papernest Wasps.
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- Species in this Polistinae subfamily are mostly large in size. Inner margins of their compound eyes
Polistinae emarginated. When rest, their fore wings folded longitudinally.
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- All the social wasps are in this Polistinae subfamily, although a few members in this
subfamily
are solitary wasps. In Australia there are two genera in this subfamily, Polistes and
Ropalidia. In this subfamily some wasps build paper nest while others
build mud nest.
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- For the social species, they have highly developed social habit.
In the nest, there are the queens, males and workers. Their nests are usually attached to a
tree, rock surface or building. There are
different species of Paper Wasps which build different type of nests.
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- Wasp paper nests can be seen in gardens and backyards. They sting and they
will
defend their nest aggressively.
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- Paper Wasps make their nests by chewing decayed wood
mixing with their saliva. A number of hexagonal shape cup cell grouped together to form a
comb. An egg is lay in each cell. The larva develops and pupates inside the
cell, emerges and becomes an adult.
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- Paper Wasps feed on nectar although their larvae are carnivorous.
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- Workers forage food, i.e., caterpillars and some other soft body insects to feed the larvae in the nest. Adult wasps
feed on nectar.
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- Australian native Paper Wasps belong to two groups or genera, Polistes
and Ropalidia. They can be distinguished
by Ropalidia has the knob like segment at its waist.
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- There are two introduced species of European
Paper Wasps belonging
to genus Vespula, subfamily Vespinae,
which are not common in Brisbane.
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- Common Paper Wasp, Australian Paper Wasp
 
- Polistes humilis, length 20mm
- First picture shows a Paper Wasp starts building its nest in spring. The
second picture shows the established colony in mid-summer. They are social wasps living
in colonies in a nest built of chewed plant tissue or "paper".
They are aggressive with potent sting. They will attack and sting if their nest
is disturbed.
More information and pictures of Paper Wasps in this
page.
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- Black and Yellow Paper Wasp
 - Polistes tepidus, body length 25mm
- We found this large wasp hunting on grass alone. This is one of the
largest wasp species in Vespidae family. From reference: this paper wasp species build a single horizontal comb of hexagonal paper
cells nest attached by a short stalk. They are dull black in colour with
orange yellow antennae and abdomen. Please also check this page
for more information.
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- Small Brown Paper Wasp
 - Ropalidia revolutionalis, length 10mm
- Their head, thorax, abdomen and wings are all in red-brown colour, with darker
band on abdomen. Usually their nests consist of several adjacent combs. Each
comb is about 100mm long, consist of two columns of cells. They are common
in Brisbane gardens and backyards. They will attack and sting if nest are
disturbed. More information please click here.
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- Large Brown Paper Wasp
- Ropalidia sp. body length 15mm
- This paper wasp is mostly red-brown in colour.
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- Disc-nest Wasp
  - Ropalidia gregaria, length 10mm
- We found this Disc-nest Wasps nest on road side hanging from a small pine
tree about 1.5 meters above ground. The nest is flat in one layer. The wasps
are brown in colour with yellow rectangular patterns on thorax, with two
segments of yellow band on abdomen. Notice that some nest cells are
empty, some are with larvae or pupa inside. Please click here
for more pictures and information.
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- Yellow Paper Wasp
 - Ropalidia romandi, body length 12mm
- We found this Yellow Paper Wasp near Bulimba Creek in Wishart. This
wasp is medium in size, with more yellow colour than the other paper wasps.
We have more information and pictures in this page.
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- Reference:
- 1. Insects
of Australia, CSIRO, Division of Entomology, Melbourne University
Press, 2nd Edition 1991, pp 980.
- 2. Insects of Australia and New Zealand - R. J. Tillyard, Angus
& Robertson, Ltd, Sydney, 1926, p296.
- 3. Paper
Wasp Fact Sheet - by Chris Burwell, Queensland Museum, 2006.
- 4. What wasp is that? - An interactive identification guide to the Australasian families of Hymenoptera, 2007.
- 5. Northern Territory Insects, A Comprehensive Guide CD - Graham Brown, 2009.
- 6. Subfamily Polistinae
- Australian Faunal Directory, Australian Biological Resources Study.
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