Executioner Paper Wasp

Polistes carnifex, also known as the Executioner Wasp, is a neotropical vespid wasp in the cosmopolitan genus Polistes and is native to Central and South America. It is a very large yellow and brown paper wasp that establishes small colonies which build nests under the eaves of buildings or suspended from branches. The colonies are often founded by solitary queens, many times in the form of winter aggregations to wait until environmental conditions are more suitable