Family: Vespidae
Species: Polistes sp.
Common Name: Paper Wasp

Location: Local playground

Paper wasps are 3/4 to 1 inch long, slender, narrow-waisted and with smoky black wings that are folded lengthwise when at rest.

They gather fibres from dead wood and plant stems, which they mix with saliva, and use them to construct water-resistant nests made of grey or brown papery material. Paper wasp nests are open and cells are not covered with a cap.