John Abbott / Paper wasp (Polistes metricus) flying from flower, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, USA Controlled conditions. September

Barrie Britton / Wasp (Ropalidia species) which attacks tadpoles. Association Mitsinjo Reserve, Andasibe, Madagascar. Photograph taken on location for BBC 'Wild Madagascar' Series, February 2010

Barrie Britton / Wasp (Ropalidia species) attacking Mantellid Frog Tadpoles (Guibemantis species) on leaf overhanging pond. Tadpoles escape by dropping into water. Association Mitsinjo Reserve, Andasibe, Madagascar....

Jose B. Ruiz / Paper wasp (Polistes gallicus) at water, Spain

Pete Oxford / Paper Wasps swarming in threat display on their nest, Ecuador, Amazon rainforest

Morley Read / Eusoical wasps (Polybia) swarming from the entrance of their nest hanging under a leaf, Napo Province, Ecuadorian Amazon. (non-ex)

Morley Read / Eusocial wasps (Polybia) at the entrance of their nest hanging under a leaf, Napo Province, the Ecuadorian Amazon. (non-ex)

Morley Read / Eusocial wasps (Polybia) swarming from the entrance of their nest hanging under a leaf, Napo Province, Ecuadorian Amazon. (non-ex)

Chris Mattison / Green wasp (Ropalidia sp), two, one guarding nest. Andasibe-Mantadia National Park, Madagascar.

Chris Mattison / Green wasp (Ropalidia sp), two, one guarding nest. Andasibe-Mantadia National Park, Madagascar.

Nick Upton / European paper wasp (Polistes dominula) building its nest on Sea holly (Eryngium maritimum) on a beach, Sardinia, Italy, June.

Nick Upton / European paper wasp (Polistes dominula) colony at their nest on a large cactus, Mallorca, Spain, August.

Andy Rouse / European Paper Wasp, (Polistes dominula), taking off after drinking, Bulgaria, June.

Andy Rouse / European Paper Wasp, (Polistes dominula), drinking, Bulgaria, June.

Tony Wu / Yellow paper wasp (Polistes olivaceus) grooming itself at sunset, in between sessions of scraping the bamboo poles for material to construct a hive.Tonga.

Paul Bertner / Crab Spider (Thomisidae) with Paper Wasp (Ropalidia sp) prey, Antananarivo, Madagascar

Paul Bertner / Paper Wasp (Ropalidia sp) colony, Ankarafantsika National Park, Madagascar

Paul Bertner / Paper Wasp (Ropalidia sp) queen tending to brood, Antananarivo, Madagascar

Paul Bertner / Paper Wasp (Ropalidia sp) group on nest, Ankarafantsika National Park, Madagascar

Paul Bertner / Paper Wasp (Ropalidia sp) queen at nest, Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar

Kim Taylor / Spider (Thomisidae) predating Paper wasp (Polistes nimpha) Bulgaria, July.

Kim Taylor / Paper wasp (Polistes dominula) worker predating Bush cricket (Tettigoniidae) Bulgaria, July.

Kim Taylor / Paper wasp (Polistes dominula) worker, Bulgaria, July.

John Abbott / Polistes sp. (Paper Wasp) in flight, captured using high speed flashes Travis County, Texas, USA. Controlled conditions. March

John Abbott / Paper wasp (Polistes metricus) male, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, USA September

John Abbott / Paper wasp (Polistes metricus) male on white background male, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, USA September

John Abbott / Paper wasp (Polistes metricus) male on white background, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, USA September

John Abbott / Paper wasp (Polistes exclamans) Bastrop County, Texas, USA. May

John Abbott / Paper wasp (Polistes carolina) on white background flying Travis County, Texas, USA. Controlled conditions. August

John Abbott / Paper wasp (Polistes carolina) on white background flying Travis County, Texas, USA. Controlled conditions. August

John Abbott / Red wasp (Polistes carolina) in flight Lamar County, Texas, USA Controlled conditions. August

Alex Hyde / Wasps (Apoica pallens) resting at their nest during the daytime, unusually for social wasps this species is nocturnal, Corcovado National Park, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica

Alex Hyde / Wasps (Apoica pallens) resting at their nest during the daytime, unusually for social wasps this species is nocturnal, Corcovado National Park, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica

Nick Upton / Female Greek paper wasps (Polistes hellenicus) tending grubs in their nest in coastal scrubland, Lesbos / Lesvos, Greece, May.

Nick Upton / Femae Greek paper wasps (Polistes hellenicus) on their nest in coastal scrubland, Lesbos / Lesvos, Greece, May.

Nick Upton / European paper wasp (Polistes dominula) foraging on Rock samphire / Sea fennel (Crithmum maritimum) flowering on a sandy beach, Algarve, Portugal, August 2013.

Alex Hyde / European Paper Wasp (Polistes gallicus) nest attached to rock face. Nordtirol, Austrian Alps. June.

MYN / Niall Benvie / European aper wasp (Polistes dominulus) Burgundy, France, April.

Pascal Pittorino / Paper wasps (Polistes gallicus) on nest, Var, Provence, France, June.

MYN / Marc Pihet / Paper wasp (Polistes gallicus), Maine-et-Loire, France, October. meetyourneighbours.net project

MYN / Marc Pihet / Paper wasp (Polistes gallicus), Maine-et-Loire, France, October. meetyourneighbours.net project

MYN / Andrew Snyder / Wasp (Polistes sp) Dadanawa Ranch, Guyana, July. Meetyourneighbours.net project.

MYN / Andrew Snyder / Wasp (Polistes sp) Dadanawa Ranch, Guyana, July. Meetyourneighbours.net project.

MYN / Andrew Snyder / Wasp (Polistes sp) Dadanawa Ranch, Guyana, July. Meetyourneighbours.net project.

MYN / Andrew Snyder / Wasp (Polistes sp) Dadanawa Ranch, Guyana, July. Meetyourneighbours.net project.

MYN / Andrew Snyder / Wasp (Polistes sp) Dadanawa Ranch, Guyana, July. Meetyourneighbours.net project.

MYN / Pierre Escoubas / Paper wasp (Polistes gallicus) Valbonne, France, June. Meetyourneighbours.net project.

MYN / Pierre Escoubas / Paper wasp (Polistes gallicus) Valbonne, France, June. Meetyourneighbours.net project.

Angelo Gandolfi / Paper wasps (Polistes sp.), Santa Catarina State, Brazil, September.

Nick Upton / Paper wasp (Polistes dominulus) bubbling regurgitated nectar in morning sunshine to speed digestion, Greece, August.

Michael Durham / African paper wasp (Belonogaster juncea) in flight, Matobo National Park, Zimbabwe, November.

Adrian Davies / Paper Wasp (Polistes gallicus) nest, in early stages of construction, Picos de Europa, northern Spain. June

Robert Thompson / Paper wasp (Polistes gallicus) on nest, north of San Nicandro Garganico, Gargano, Italy, April.

Alex Hyde / Paper Wasp (Polistes gallicus) on nest, Nordtirol, Tirol, Austrian Alps, Austria, June

Claudio Contreras / Paper Wasp (Polistes sp.) on nest cells. Maria Madre Island, Islas Marias Biosphere Reserve, Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California), Mexico, September.

Pete Oxford / Paper Wasp (Polistinae) nest, Yasuni National Park, Amazon, Ecuador

MYN / Clay Bolt / Paper wasp (Polistes metricus) North Carolina, USA, November, meetyourneighbours.net project

MYN / Clay Bolt / Paper wasp (Polistes metricus) North Carolina, USA, November, meetyourneighbours.net project

MYN / Clay Bolt / Paper wasp (Polistes metricus) dorsal view, North Carolina, USA, November, meetyourneighbours.net project

Pete Oxford / Opened Polybia Paper Wasp Nest showing internal structure. Cocaya River, Eastern Amazon Rain Forest, the border of Peru and Ecuador.

Michel Poinsignon / Paper wasp (Polistes gallicus) on nest, Lorraine, France, May

Pete Oxford / Paper Wasp (Polistes versicolor), an introduced species, group starting to build a hive, Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Stephen Dalton / Paper wasp (Polistes metricus) in flight, UK. Controlled conditions.

Murray Cooper / Wasp (Vespidae) nest, Amazon, Ecuador

Stephen Dalton / Paper wasp (Polistes metricus) in flight, Everglades, Florida, USA

Michael & Patricia Fogden / Paper Wasp (Polistes instabilis) trio, Costa Rica

Albert Lleal / Paper Wasp (Polistes gallicus) on nest, Europe

Silvia Reiche / Paper Wasp (Polistes bischoffi) building a nest, Saint-Jory-las-Bloux, France

Michel Poinsignon / Paper wasp (Polistes gallicus) at nest, Lorraine, France

Dietmar Nill / Paper wasps (Polistes gallicus) at nest, Austria

Jose B. Ruiz / Paper wasp (Polistes gallicus) at water, Spain

Doug Wechsler / Northern Paper Wasp {Polistes fuscatus} on Goldenrod {Solidago sp} gathering nectar and pollinating, Pennsylvania, USA

Michael Durham / Chinese Paper Wasp (Polistes chinensis) flying, western Oregon

Michael Durham / Chinese Paper Wasp (Polistes chinensis) flying, western Oregon

Kerstin Hinze / European Paper Wasps ( Polistes gallicus) at nest caring for larvae, Austria

Tui De Roy / Chinese Paper Wasp (Polistes chinensis) group tending nest, Baja California, Mexico

Philippe Clement / Nest of Paper wasps (Vespidae) Costa Rica, Central America

Philippe Clement / Paper Wasps swarming around their nest in tree, Tapanti NP, Costa Rica.

Philippe Clement / Paper Wasps swarming around their nest in tree, Tapanti NP, Costa Rica.

PREMAPHOTOS / Paper wasps on nest feeding larvae in cells {Polistes semenowi} Corfu, Greece

PREMAPHOTOS / Paper wasp chews caterpillar into bolus to carry to nest {Polistes gallicus} Switzerland

PREMAPHOTOS / Paper wasp {Polistes cinerascens} strips flesh from Assassin bug, Argentina

Dietmar Nill / Paper wasp (Polistes gallicus) cooling nest with water. Germany, Europe

PREMAPHOTOS / Paper wasp worker takes prey to nest. (Polister gallicus) France

PREMAPHOTOS / Paper wasp (Polistes versicolor) with food bolus to feed larvae. Argentina

Jim Brandenburg / Paper Wasp (Polistes metricus) nest with individuals at entrance, Minnesota

Mitsuhiko Imamori / Paper Wasp constructing nest, Shiga, Japan

Mark Moffett / Paper Wasp (Polistinae) nest, Peru

Mitsuhiko Imamori / Chinese Paper Wasp (Polistes chinensis) adult removing moisture from the nest to protect the larvae, Shiga, Japan

Paul Bertner / Paper Wasp (Polistes sp) drinking, Tambopata Research Center, Peru

Piotr Naskrecki / Paper Wasp (Polistinae) group guarding nest, Costa Rica

Agustin Esmoris / Paper Wasp (Polistes buyssoni), Argentina

Scott Leslie / Paper Wasp (Polistes sp) feeding on flower nectar, Nova Scotia, Canada

Premaphotos / Paper wasp (Polistes exclamans) taking honeydew from the surface of a leaf, Florida, USA