Bug FAQUnstable Paper Wasp
Polistes instabilis · Order: Hymenoptera · Family: Eumenidae
Also called: Guitarrilla Paper Wasp
Unstable Paper Wasps are medium-sized social wasps, 13 to 25 mm long, with yellow, brown and reddish markings; males have a yellow face and curled antenna tips while females have darker faces and straight antenna tips. They live in lowland dry forests of Central America, especially Costa Rica, and are most visible during the rainy season in August to September. Colonies start in March, stay small (under 100 individuals), and the wasps leave the nest to overwinter in October-November.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
They have yellow, brown and reddish markings; males show a yellow face and curled antenna tips, females have darker faces and straight antenna tips.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Body length ranges from 13 to 25 mm, with wings about 14 mm long that fold along the body.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They are found in Central and South America, especially in lowland dry forests of Costa Rica.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Adults feed on nectar from many plants and also hunt caterpillars for protein.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Colonies are started in March, remain small (under 100 individuals), and the wasps leave the nest to overwinter in October-November.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
They are most noticeable during the rainy season in August to September, and colonies are seasonal, disappearing after October-November.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Their native range includes tropical and subtropical areas of Central and South America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 2 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Arizona.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
How can I recognize an Unstable Paper Wasp?
Look for a medium-sized wasp (13 to 25 mm) with yellow, brown and reddish markings; males have a yellow face and curled antenna tips, females have darker faces and straight antenna tips.
Source: Wikipedia
When are these wasps active?
They are most visible during the rainy season in August to September and the colonies disappear after October-November.
Source: Wikipedia
Where do Unstable Paper Wasps live?
They inhabit lowland dry forests of Central America, especially Costa Rica, and are part of the broader neotropical range of Central and South America.
Source: Wikipedia
What do they eat?
Adults collect nectar from a variety of plants and hunt caterpillars for protein.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Eumenidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polistes_instabilis
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.