vayda on Nostr: 🚨 ARTHROPOD OF THE DAY 🚨 Yellow Paper Wasp (Polistes flavus) - These large ...

🚨 ARTHROPOD OF THE DAY 🚨

Yellow Paper Wasp (Polistes flavus) - These large wasps are easy to recognize by their bright gold color. The word ‘flavus’ is Latin for yellow or golden. They are found in abundance in Arizona in the same region as Saguaro cacti. Males have much longer antennae and the ends have a sharp right angle bend. Female faces are triangular whereas the male faces are more square and paler.

Males and queens mate in the fall. The males die but the queens overwinter and begin nest building in the spring. The queen (foundress) lays her eggs in the tops of the cells and expands the nest as needed. She may be assisted by a close female relative. The larvae are fed caterpillars and other insects by the queen (and assisting females).