Bug FAQApoica flavissima
Apoica flavissima · Order: Hymenoptera · Family: Vespidae
Apoica flavissima is a paper wasp with wing lengths of about 15.5 to 19 mm (0.61 to 0.75 in). Queens are smaller than the workers, which is unusual for Vespidae wasps.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The middle thoracic segment (mesoscutum) is dark yellow and covered with noticeable bristles. The abdomen’s enlarged rear (gaster) and the humeral plate are pale yellow.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wings measure roughly 15.5 to 19 mm long. Queens are smaller than the workers, which is the opposite of most Vespidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Nests are built in shaded, wooded locations that help keep the nest temperature stable. The species is found throughout South America.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Adults bring nectar back to the nest to feed larvae and queens during night foraging. They have also been observed eating flesh from dead vertebrates and invertebrates.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
New colonies start when a swarm containing at least one queen and many workers leaves the old nest. An individual’s caste (queen or worker) is decided while it is a larva.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Because they are nocturnal, the overall abundance of the species is not well known. At dusk they exit the nest in a sudden, massive swarm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Apoica flavissima is a paper wasp native to South America.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
What do they look like?
They have a dark-yellow mesoscutum with prominent bristles and a pale-yellow gaster and humeral plate.
Source: Wikipedia
What do they eat?
They feed on nectar brought back to the nest and also eat flesh from dead animals.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Vespidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apoica_flavissima
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.