Red Paper Wasp

Polistes canadensis

Red Paper Wasp (Polistes canadensis): Not From Canada, Level-3 Sting

The Red Paper Wasp (Polistes canadensis) is a large, mahogany-red paper wasp found from Arizona to Argentina whose sting Justin Schmidt rated 3.

Schmidt pain rating
3 out of 4; pain lasts about a minute
Size
Large and slender; wing length 17–24.5 mm
Look
Uniformly mahogany to rust-red body, purplish-black wings
Range
Southern Arizona to Argentina
Nest
Many small open combs, each on its own stalk
Conservation
Not evaluated by the IUCN

Habitat & range

The Red Paper Wasp is spread over most of the Neotropics, from southern Arizona to Argentina, including Mexico, Central America, Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia and Paraguay. It is the most widely distributed American *Polistes*. Nests are found on buildings, on the trunks and large limbs of trees in open habitats, and in sheltered places such as caves, sheds and under peeling bark. Red Paper Wasp appears as an Insecta creature card in Wilder TCG.

A misleading name

Carl Linnaeus described the species in 1758 and named it *canadensis*, "of Canada". He was misinformed about where his specimen came from: the species reaches no farther north than southern Arizona.

How to recognise it

It is a large, slender paper wasp with a wing length of 17 to 24.5 mm. Both sexes are a uniform light to dark mahogany-brown, sometimes with a lighter head and thorax, and some have a thin yellow edge on the first abdominal segment. The wings are purplish black. Its close relative the red-headed paper wasp has a black body with only a red head.

Many small combs

Its nests are open paper combs with no outer envelope, and every comb hangs from its own single stalk (about 1 cm long). Instead of enlarging one comb, a colony keeps starting new ones: combs average about 31 cells, and a large, mature colony may have over 800 cells spread among more than 30 combs. Each comb holds only one generation of brood before it is abandoned, a habit thought to protect the brood against moth infestations. One dominant queen controls the colony and suppresses the other females, which work as helpers. Brood is reared all year round, and it takes about 40 days from egg to adult. Adults hunt caterpillars to feed the larvae and also take nectar.

The sting

Justin O. Schmidt rated the red paper wasp's sting a 3 on his 4-point scale and described it as: "Caustic and burning, with a distinctly bitter aftertaste. Like spilling a beaker of hydrochloric acid on a paper cut." (Schmidt, *The Sting of the Wild*, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2016). The pain is intense but short, lasting about a minute. In his 2019 venom study, its venom had an LD50 of 2.4 mg/kg in mice, close to the honey bee's 2.8 mg/kg.

Conservation

*Polistes canadensis* has not been evaluated for the IUCN Red List. It is widespread across the American tropics and often nests on buildings.

Fun facts about Red Paper Wasp

  • Despite its name, it does not live in Canada: Linnaeus was misinformed about where his specimen came from, and the species reaches no farther north than southern Arizona.
  • Instead of one big comb, a colony spreads its brood over many small combs; a large colony can have over 800 cells in more than 30 combs.
  • Each comb is used for only one generation of brood and then abandoned, which is thought to protect against moth infestations.
  • Males use two mating tactics: big males defend territories, while smaller males patrol from tree to tree and sneak matings.
  • It is the most widely distributed American species of Polistes.

Red Paper Wasp vs Warrior Wasp

The warrior wasp's level-4 sting and mass defence win this card battle.

There is no record of these two fighting; this is a Wilder comparison of two social wasps of the American tropics. Schmidt rated the red paper wasp's sting 3, with pain that fades in about a minute, and the warrior wasp's 4, with pain lasting an hour or more. Red paper wasps spread their colony over many small open combs, while warrior wasps defend one closed nest in large numbers.

Read more about Warrior Wasp.

Common questions about Red Paper Wasp

How painful is a red paper wasp sting?

Justin Schmidt rated it 3 on his 4-point scale and wrote: "Caustic and burning, with a distinctly bitter aftertaste. Like spilling a beaker of hydrochloric acid on a paper cut." (The Sting of the Wild, 2016). The pain lasts about a minute (National Geographic; Schmidt sting pain index).

Does the red paper wasp live in Canada?

No. Linnaeus named it canadensis in 1758 because he was misinformed about where his specimen came from. The species reaches no farther north than southern Arizona and ranges south to Argentina (Wikipedia).

What does the red paper wasp look like?

A large, slender wasp with a wing length of 17 to 24.5 mm and a uniform mahogany to rust-red body, sometimes with a lighter head and thorax, and purplish-black wings (Wikipedia). Compare the black-bodied Red-headed Paper Wasp.

Why do red paper wasps build so many small combs?

Each comb hangs from its own stalk and is used for only one generation of brood before being abandoned. This is thought to protect the brood from moth infestations. A large colony may have over 800 cells in more than 30 combs (Wikipedia).

What do red paper wasps eat?

Adults hunt caterpillars, to feed their larvae, and also drink nectar (Wikipedia).

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