UTSW Rookery

This Is Why They Are Called Paper Wasps

This is the wooden post of one of the rookery signs reminding folks to not go past the perimeter of the rookery. I saw this wasp with a mouthful of nesting material. Paper wasps gather fibers from dead wood and plant stems, which they mix with saliva, and use to construct water-resistant nests made of gray or brown papery material. (Wikipedia) First time I'd seen this behavior but you can see how this post has tiny little shreds of wood on it. Turns out to be a new species for me too. Sent it to the entomologists at bugguide.net and it is either Polistes carolina or Polistes rubiginosus, either one of which would be new to me. These two species can only be told apart under the microscope.
(update, a specialist in iNaturalist was able to id the species as Polistes rubiginosus.)
Female Red Paper Wasp (Polistes rubiginosus)
UT Southwest Medical Center Rookery

buginsectdallas texasclose uputsw rookeryut southwest medical centerut southwest medicalrookerynew species for meliferwasppaper waspnon aggressivenesting materialnesting behaviorfemale waspfemaleRed Paper WaspFemale Red Paper WaspPolistes rubiginosus

From Insects and Spiders