European Paper Wasp Polistes dominula
The European Paper Wasp is common over much of Europe, North Africa and north Asia. Formerly only a rare vagrant, it is a recent entrant to the UK resident population.
A slim wasp, it has an extended thorax with distinctive yellow markings at front and back, a yellow and black striped abdomen,
orange antennae and a yellow face (black face marks can vary).
The flight style is also distinctive, with the long hind legs trailing down behind.
It is also sometimes called the Dominula Paper Wasp to distinguish it from the very similar Gallicus Paper Wasp
Polistes gallicus.
Like all Paper Wasps, they are social species making a layered, communal nest of chewed wood.
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other Polistes species