Bug FAQHunter's Little Paper Wasp
Polistes dorsalis · Order: Hymenoptera · Family: Eumenidae
Source: Wikipedia
Hunter's Little Paper Wasp is a small Polistes species with fore-wing lengths of about 11 to 17 mm. They have a distinctive V-shaped yellow marking on the head and a shield-shaped plate below the frons that is dark with a yellow band.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Both males and females show a V-shaped yellow pattern on the head. The plate under the frons looks like a shield, is dark-colored and has a yellow band.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
It is one of the smaller Polistes wasps. Fore-wing length ranges from roughly 11 to 17 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Does it bite or sting?
When disturbed they can deliver a moderately painful sting. Their venom has been studied for possible antimicrobial properties.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They are found across North America, often nesting close to the ground in sheltered spots. Nests are small, open-faced, usually a single tier and can hold up to about 75 adults.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
They belong to the Vespidae family, genus Polistes, and are common in the southeastern United States, with records in states such as MA, NY, and FL.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 30 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Florida, California, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, North Carolina, Arizona.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
Do Hunter's Little Paper Wasps sting?
Yes, they can sting and the sting is described as moderately painful.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I tell this wasp apart from similar species?
Look for the V-shaped yellow head marking and check the femur markings; the shield-shaped plate below the frons also helps identification.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Eumenidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polistes_dorsalis
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.