Large Red Paper Wasp
Family: Vespidae
Genus: Polistes, (Latreille, 1802)


Images taken of this large Red Paper Wasp was on the 28th September 2014. I have not seen any since, in the Alicante region of Spain.

Since 2014 I have been unable to identify the exact species of this “Paper-Wasp,” but there are some similar species recorded, mainly in North America and a few in southern Europe.
Any ideas on this species identification? If so, please do get in touch by using our email contact form.

David March.

Paper wasps gather fibres from dead wood and matured plant stems, they secrete the fibres with their saliva; this becomes a grey-brown coloured papery material, (similar to papier-mache) which is the basic material to construct their nests. Hence the name: Paper wasps.

Polistinae Paper Wasps can be less aggressive than “Yellow jackets” and “Hornets”, Although if the wasp felt threatened, especially near a nesting site, they will not hesitate to protect their territory. A sting can be very painful and like all venomous animals, a sting can produce a potentially anaphylactic (allergic) reaction for some people. Don’t forget unlike most insects, a wasp can sting you multiple times!

Paper wasps can be very beneficial to gardeners, as like most wasps, by becoming a natural biocontrol of garden pests, such as beetle larvae, flies and a variety of caterpillar pests.

The adult wasps feed off flowers for the pollen and nectar, so also helping with pollination.