Posts Tagged: Polistes dominula

Ever Seen a Wasp Colony in a Frog's Mouth?

In real life, frogs eat flies, mosquitoes, bees, wasps and other insects.  But have you ever seen a frog's mouth filled with an entire...

Adrienne R. Shapiro of Davis captured this image of a nesting European paper wasps in the mouth of a garden frog statue in a Davis neighborhood. (Photo courtesy of Adrienne R. Shapiro)

Adrienne R. Shapiro of Davis captured this image of a nesting European paper wasps in the mouth of a garden frog statue in a Davis neighborhood. (Photo courtesy of Adrienne R. Shapiro)

A European paper wasp nest in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A European paper wasp nest in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A European paper wasp peeks over a yellow rose in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A European paper wasp peeks over a yellow rose in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

European paper wasps exiting a nest in a recycling bin at the University of California, Davis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

European paper wasps exiting a nest in a recycling bin at the University of California, Davis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A yellowjacket drinking water on a hot day. Its black antennae distinguish it from the orange-tipped antennae of the European paper wasp. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A yellowjacket drinking water on a hot day. Its black antennae distinguish it from the orange-tipped antennae of the European paper wasp. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Wasp Love: Pollinators, Artists and Biocontrol Experts

What a delight to see that European paper wasp nest tucked beneath the overhang of a fence in a Vacaville, Calif. neighborhood. My first...

An European paper wasp (Polistes dominula) nest in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

An European paper wasp (Polistes dominula) nest in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A European paper wasp, Polistes dominula, peers between the petals of a yellow rose. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A European paper wasp, Polistes dominula, peers between the petals of a yellow rose. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Do You Know Where Your Pollinators Are?

It's National Pollinator Week. Do you know where your pollinators are? If you're thinking bees, butterflies, beetles, birds (hummingbirds) and bats,...

European paper wasps protecting the nest they're building on the lip of a recycling bin near the Mann lab, UC Davis campus. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

European paper wasps protecting the nest they're building on the lip of a recycling bin near the Mann lab, UC Davis campus. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

European paper wasp chowing down on food on the lip of a recycling bin near the Mann lab, UC Davis campus. Another wasp delivered it to the guard. Maybe it's the remains of a caterpillar? (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

European paper wasp chowing down on food on the lip of a recycling bin near the Mann lab, UC Davis campus. Another wasp delivered it to the guard. Maybe it's the remains of a caterpillar? (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

These European Paper Wasps Didn't Get the Memo

They didn't get the memo. A sign on a recycling bin near the Mann Laboratory at the University of California, Davis, clearly reads "Bottles and Cans...

A sign on a UC Davis recycling bin clearly says "Bottles and Cans Only." It says nothing about wasps. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A sign on a UC Davis recycling bin clearly says "Bottles and Cans Only." It says nothing about wasps. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Close-up of the European paper wasps building their nest beneath the overhanging lid of a recycling bin. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Close-up of the European paper wasps building their nest beneath the overhanging lid of a recycling bin. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

European paper wasps even built a nest in a donation box in the Reiman Gardens, Iowa State University. "These ladies had expensive taste," quipped associate professor Amy Toth, who reseachers European paper wasps. (Photo by Amy Merritt, Reiman Gardens)

European paper wasps even built a nest in a donation box in the Reiman Gardens, Iowa State University. "These ladies had expensive taste," quipped associate professor Amy Toth, who reseachers European paper wasps. (Photo by Amy Merritt, Reiman Gardens)

Getting Steak and Dessert at the Same Time

Monarch butterflies aren't the only insects that hang around milkweed, their host plant. You're likely to see a variety of predators, such as the...

A European paper wasp catching prey on a showy milkweed, Asclepias speciosa. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A European paper wasp catching prey on a showy milkweed, Asclepias speciosa. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A European wasp feeding on prey on a tropical milkweed, Asclepias curassavica. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A European wasp feeding on prey on a tropical milkweed, Asclepias curassavica. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Eye to eye, and nose to antennae with a European paper wasp. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Eye to eye, and nose to antennae with a European paper wasp. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Close-up of European paper wasp. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Close-up of European paper wasp. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

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