Which structural feature identifies paper wasps (*Polistes*) nests versus the construction of yellow jackets?

Paper wasps construct open-comb nests hanging from a single stalk beneath overhangs, contrasting with yellow jackets that build enclosed paper envelopes around their combs.

Among social wasps, the genus *Polistes* (paper wasps) displays a distinctive nest architecture that differs notably from enclosed builders like yellow jackets. Paper wasp nests are characterized by being exposed; they lack an outer protective paper shell and usually hang downward from a single attachment point, often resembling an open umbrella shape under an eave. Yellow jackets, conversely, construct their combs within a protective, multi-layered outer envelope made of paper pulp, often situated underground in places like abandoned rodent burrows, completely concealing the active combs inside.