Bug FAQAsian Paper Wasp
Polistes chinensis · Order: Hymenoptera · Family: Eumenidae
Also called: Chinese Paper Wasp, Japanese Paper Wasp
The Asian paper wasp is a slender insect about 13 to 25 mm long with reddish-brown or black bodies marked by yellow rings and reddish abdominal areas; its wings are amber-brown and its legs hang down while it flies. It builds paper nests on houses, buildings, trees, bushes or leaves, preferring urban areas but also occurring near forest clearings.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults measure about 13 to 25 mm (0.5 to 1 in) in length.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
Nests are frequently built on houses and other buildings, sometimes hidden in dense shrubs making them hard to locate.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Nests are commonly found on man-made structures such as houses and buildings, as well as on tree branches, leaves, dense shrubs, or in urban environments.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Adults collect nectar and honeydew from flowers and hunt invertebrates, especially caterpillars of moths and butterflies, for protein; they may also eat marine invertebrates or fish carrion when available. They feed on larvae of other females of the same species, and larval saliva provides important nutrients for adults.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
An overwintered, inseminated female emerges in spring, builds the nest and lays eggs; the first brood of females appears in late spring, with males produced from early summer onward. The colony develops through a solitary stage, a super-individual stage, and finally a social stage.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Native to East Asia, it occurs in China, Japan, Korea and Mongolia.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Polistes chinensis belongs to the cosmopolitan genus Polistes and is also called the Asian, Chinese or Japanese paper wasp. It has been studied alongside Polistes snelleni for comparative research.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
How can I recognize an Asian paper wasp?
Look for a slender wasp about 1-inch long with reddish-brown or black coloring, yellow rings on the body, reddish patches on the abdomen, and amber-brown wings.
Source: Wikipedia
Where do Asian paper wasps build their nests?
They often attach paper nests to the sides of houses, buildings, trees, bushes, or even leaves, especially in urban areas.
Source: Wikipedia
What do Asian paper wasps eat?
Adults feed on flower nectar, honeydew, and hunt caterpillars and other invertebrates for protein; they may also eat marine invertebrates or fish carrion when available.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Eumenidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polistes_chinensis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.