Identification
| Wasps, bees and ants (the order "Hymenoptera") differ from other insects by having two pairs of wings that are linked by a row of hooks, and by having a narrow "waist" that joins the abdomen to the thorax. The first segment of the abdomen is fused to the back of the thorax, so the part behind is not the whole abdomen — it is more strictly called the "gaster". |  |
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Social Wasps
Social wasps can be distinguished from the rest of the Hymenoptera by:
1. the way they fold their fore- wings back when they are at rest, |
2. by the pattern of veins on their wings, and | 3. by having kidney-shaped compound eyes. |
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Worker wasps and queens look similar, although the queen is much larger. Both have a sting. |
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Drones do not have a sting, have more segments on the gaster, and have long curved antennae. |
Wasps in New Zealand
Four introduced social wasp species have become established in New Zealand. Australian paper wasps (Polistes humilis) were abundant in Northland in the 1880's. German wasps (Vespula germanica) arrived at the end of World War II and common wasps (Vespula vulgaris) became established in the 1970's. The Asian paper wasp (Polistes chinensis) was first found near Auckland in 1979.
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Solitary Wasps
There are many solitary species of wasps native to New Zealand. They have evolved here with other insects and plants over thousands of years, and have never been considered a nuisance. There are also some introduced species of solitary wasp.