How do Polistes wasps construct their paper nests within Vespidae?
Answer
They create open, umbrella-shaped combs mixing saliva and wood fibers.
The genus *Polistes*, commonly known as paper wasps, exhibits a highly characteristic and recognizable nesting style that separates them immediately from other social Vespids like *Vespula*. Their nests consist of an open comb structure, often described as umbrella-shaped, which lacks an outer protective envelope. The material used to build these combs is manufactured by the wasps themselves through a physical process: mixing chewed wood fibers, which provide structural integrity, with their own saliva to create a papery substance. Furthermore, the initial construction is often undertaken solely by a founding female before the colony expands.
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