Bug FAQPolistes japonicus
Polistes japonicus · Order: Hymenoptera · Family: Eumenidae
Polistes japonicus is a paper wasp native to Japan, first described in 1858. The colony starts in May when a foundress emerges from overwintering, males appear first and new reproductive females show up in August. Adults have a yellow abdomen with brown or black bands and darkened wings with a brownish tint.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The abdomen is yellow with brown or black bands. The wings have a dark brownish tint.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Males are larger than females, showing sexual dimorphism. The size difference is thought to result from competition among males for mates.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Nests are found in lowland areas. Queens that will become future founders overwinter in wood or human structures.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
In the wild they mainly eat caterpillars found on plant leaves.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
A colony is started in May by an overwintering foundress that builds a new nest. Males emerge first, followed by new reproductive females in August.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Colonies begin in May after the foundress emerges from overwintering.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is a eusocial paper wasp native to Japan.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It is closely related to Polistes formosanus.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
When do Polistes japonicus colonies start?
Colonies are initiated in May when an overwintering foundress builds a new nest.
Source: Wikipedia
What do adult Polistes japonicus look like?
Adults have a yellow abdomen with brown or black bands and darkened wings with a brownish tint.
Source: Wikipedia
Where are Polistes japonicus wasps found?
They are native to Japan and build nests in lowland areas, with queens overwintering in wood or human structures.
Source: Wikipedia
What do Polistes japonicus wasps eat?
They mainly feed on caterpillars on plant leaves, and in labs they also eat lepidopteran larvae, cicada thoraxes, and honeybee pupae.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Eumenidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polistes_japonicus
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.