"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
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"Zoot" wrote in message
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"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
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"Paddy's Pig" wrote in message
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Superb!

Do you know what kind of wasp it is?

Mary


It is a paper wasp aka umbrella wasp. Those are the ones that build nests
like upside down umbrellas, honey-combed. They are gentle insects, like
honey-bees. They eat insects and nectar and are considered to be
beneficial. I have them all over my garden, and we get along just fine.
I've seen them build nests in alcoves, entry ways to buildings and you
could stop and look at them with your head 2 feet away from the nest, and
they would just ignore you.

I don't know of a wasp like that. What's its scientific name?

Mary

They are of the genus Polistes. The ones we have around here appear to be
Polistes dominula aka European paper wasp. They are very common in the
western and south-west USA. I've seen them from Nevada all the way up to
Washington. You can easily distinguish them from yellowjackets by the legs
that hang down when they fly, and the shape of the abdomen. They have nasty
stings, but they are so gentle they seldom actually sting anyone. You have
to do something like poke their nest to make them mad.