Wapi (Paper Wasp Nest)

Description:

Paper wasp in the process of making a nest. "Wapi" is the local Maori name for paper wasps. The nest is a small honeycomb nest which is made out of wood chewed and moulded by the wasp. The wasp chews wood into a pulp by a mixture of saliva and propolis (a resinous substance) obtained from plants as a binding agent. A nest may contain just a few cells or as many as 400. The female lays a single egg in each cell which hatch in a few days. The larva orientate themselves with the head at the membrane to be fed by the adults. They pupate a few weeks later and spins a tough silken case.

Habitat:

Often found hanging from branches or the eves of houses or some overhead support.

Notes:

There are two types of paper wasp in New Zealand. Polistes humilis (Australian paper wasp) and Polistes chinensis (Asian paper wasp)