Golden Polistes Paper Wasp

A wasp that looks similar to a Yellow Jacket but has a narrow "waist" and nearly solid yellow abdomen.  The nest appears umbrella shaped with a narrow stem-like attachment to the structure above and is constructed of chewed wood fibers.  The wasp larvae are tended by the adults of the small colony and fed chewed-up caterpillars brought in by the foraging adults.  A new nest  is constructed each spring by an overwintering female wasp.  Photos by Laurel Woodley