European Paper Wasp: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Tiny Builders · day 3 of 7

Five facts

1. European paper wasps eat a buffet of insects, not just caterpillars. In one European study, prey brought to nests came from three insect orders.
2. In Michigan tests, a lone European paper wasp queen's colony was four to five times as productive as a native rival's.
3. European paper wasp colonies raise their first workers about 6 days sooner than a native rival, even when eggs hatch the same day.
4. In some North American sites, more than 80 European paper wasps have been seen banding together to reuse one old nest.
5. The wasp reached North America in the late 1970s, first recorded in Massachusetts. By 1995 it had spread through the northeastern United States.

The quiz

1. How many insect orders did the prey brought to nests represent in one study?

• One
• Seven
• Three (correct)
• Ten

In one study, prey brought to nests represented three insect orders.

2. In Michigan tests, how much more productive was the invader's colony than the native rival's?

• Twice
• Ten times
• Only slightly
• Four to five times (correct)

In side-by-side Michigan tests, colonies started by one queen produced four to five times as much as the native rival's.

3. How much sooner do European paper wasp colonies raise their first workers than the native wasp?

• About 6 days (correct)
• 1 day
• Two months
• Six months

Their workers appear about 6 days earlier, even when eggs hatch the same day.

4. What have more than 80 wasps been seen doing together at some North American sites?

• Hunting one big prey
• Reusing an old nest (correct)
• Migrating south
• Building a new nest each

More than 80 wasps have been seen banding together to reuse an old nest.

5. Where was the wasp first recorded in North America?

• Massachusetts (correct)
• Florida
• Michigan
• Colorado

It was first recorded in Massachusetts in the late 1970s.

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