Paper wasp, female

Description:

The wasp is a dark ferruginous (rusty) color with black markings on its thorax and a mostly black abdomen. The tibia is black, and the tarsi are yellow. The three ocelli are contained within a black spot, separate from the antennae. Females bear six abdominal segments, and males bear seven. P. metricus feeds mainly on caterpillars.

Habitat:

A North American paper wasp. It ranges throughout the southern Midwest, the South, and as far northeast as New York. Seen at Mason Farm Biological Preserve