Golden paper wasp
Polistes aurifer
insectView on iNaturalist
Slender wasp with golden-yellow body and brown markings. Builds open-comb paper nests in Bay Area gardens; hunts caterpillars and other soft-bodied insects, providing natural pest control.
Plants that support Golden paper wasp
5 plants
Apache-beads
Anemopsis californica
perennial herb
Foraging for nectar to support colony
Bay Area native
California Figwort
Scrophularia californica
perennial herb
Spring-summer (Apr-Aug); nectar source; foundresses forage for colony
Bay Area native
Coyote Brush
Baccharis pilularis
shrub
Late-season nectar for colony maturation Sep-Dec
Bay Area native
Douglas's False Willow
Baccharis glutinosa
perennial herb
carbohydrate provisioning during nesting season
Bay Area native
Mulefat
Baccharis salicifolia
shrub
Adults feed on nectar; plant provides carbohydrate fuel for colony
Bay Area native