I encountered this Northern Paper Wasp (Polistes fuscatus) foraging for nectar along the Greenway, mingling with a motley assortment of bees, flies, beetles and others enjoying the last morsels of sweetness before the waning warmth of fall gives way to a winter chill that sends most of them to their peaceful, eternal rest.... But I digress. This wasp charmed me, starting with the adorably curled tips of its antennae and the striking pattern on its abdomen: black and yellow stripes, with a pair of smoky two-tone spots near its thorax. Its slender frame and waist and lack of hair on its legs and body distinguish it from its bee relatives. This (or rather these--the photos show two different wasps, as can be seen by the markings on the thorax) appears to be a male, based on the curled antennae and yellow face, though not all sources remark upon this as a distinguishing factor between males and females. The absence of a stinger is common to all male wasps and bees.
While foraging wasps generally don't pay much attention to paparazzi and other humans, it is a different story if one were to threaten their nests. Paper wasps get their name from their elaborate nests constructed of bits of wood, chewed to a pulp and formed into papery chambers where one or more dominant females will lay eggs. Theirs is a complex society, with elaborate social hierarchy complete with recognition of nestmates based on both behavior and individual facial features.Nests will be aggressively defended both from predators and other unrelated wasps. The egg-laying queen(s) are among the most vigorous of the defenders, since their genetic investment in the eggs and larvae is the greatest. In spite of the risk, wasps can be valuable allies in the garden, where they will capture caterpillars and other pests to feed to their young.
Your photos are amazing!
ReplyDelete