page_title: Polistes carolina
section_title: Nests
hierarchical_section_title: Polistes carolina / Description and identification / Nests
caption_attribution_description: English: Nest of red paper wasp taken on March 31, 2020. In the image a wasp can be seen clinging to part of its nest. This image was taken in Eastern Texas.
context_page_description: One of two types of red paper wasp, Polistes carolina is a species of social wasp in the family Vespidae. They are native to the United States from Texas to Florida, north to New York, and west to Nebraska. They have also been found in Bermuda and Canada, where they are considered non-native. The wasp's common name is due to the reddish-brown color of its head and body. Red paper wasps are known to construct some of the largest nests of any wasp species and prefer to build their nests in protected spaces.
context_section_description: Like most paper wasps, P. carolina constructs nests by chewing plant and wood fibers with saliva to create a paper-like material. When dried, their nests form an upside-down umbrella or dome shape with exposed honeycomb-like cells, opening at the bottom. P. carolina prefers to nest in protected spaces, such as naturally occurring locations in vegetation or the cavities of trees. They also frequently nest in man-made structures, such as the underside of bridges, roofs, chimneys, eaves, and wooden boxes.
caption: Red paper wasp nest in Eastern Texas on a man made structure.
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