Dave Bevan / Common wasp (Vespula vulgaris) adding material to nest, Carmarthenshire, Wales, UK, July.

Ingo Arndt / Common wasp (Vespula vulgaris) detail of nest surface, Hessen, Germany, April.

Alex Hyde / Social Wasp colony {Hymenoptera} photographed against white background. Masoala Peninsula National Park, north east Madagascar.

Wild Wonders of Europe / Lesniewski / Wasps on nest, Bagerova Steppe, Kerch Peninsula, Crimea, Ukraine, July 2009

David Kjaer / Common Wasps on nest {Vespula vulgaris} Wiltshire, UK

Kim Taylor / Tree wasp queen building nest {Vespula sylvestris}. UK.

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.

Ingo Arndt / Median wasp (Dolichovespula media) nest, cross section showing combs. Hessen, Germany.