From Wikimalia
| The Bug Collection
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| Paper Wasp
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| Habitat: | Temperate regions.
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| Description: | Often mistaken for termites, these small wasps are light yellowish in color, with tinges of orange. Their back-facing wings extend well past their posteriors, and are slightly opaque. Their heads are broad and pear-shaped, tipped with two jointed antennae that never seem to rest. They have impressive mandibles for chewing wood, and their short thick stinger can shallowly penetrate bark, to drill holes for egg-laying. Possessing six thickened legs they are able to move quite quickly on the ground, but dart about even faster in the air.
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| Notes: | The paper wasp is a nest builder, creating a woody pulp with their dissolvent saliva. The nests appear leafy, partly because leaves are employed in the exterior and because the paper-thin pulp peels away in layers over time, requiring constant repair and maintenance.
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Not overtly aggressive, the paper wasp tends to flee humanoid contact if possible. When cornered, or the nest is threatened, the entire hive will swarm, delivering dozens of blisteringly painful stings. Some fatalities have been documented from paper wasp stings, but this is thought to be an allergic reaction in isolated instances.
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