Paper Wasps (Polistes spp., Ropalidia spp.)

The papery nest made from chewed wood is the reason paper wasps are so named. There are several species in Australia, both native and introduced. They form colonies up to several hundred in number, made of brood cells adjoining each other in a honeycomb pattern. One or several wasps may attack when disturbed, and repeated exposure to the venom could lead to to hypersensitivity.