northern paper wasp (Polistes fuscatus) queen at Lake Meyer Park IA 653A0338
We've had several nights with frost or freezing temperatures during the past week so most insect activity is over for the year save for a lucky few. This female (queen) northern paper wasp can withstand freezing temperatures and when it gets a little colder she will simply crawl under some leaves on the forest floor and stay frozen until spring when she thaws out and starts a new northern paper wasp colony. Right now the ground is still warm enough that she can crawl out from her winter hide on warm sunny days and fatten up on some food yet. Male and worker paper wasps cannot survive freezing temperatures and have perished at this point in time. This female is filling up on a rotting apple that the deer haven't devoured yet.
northern paper wasp (Polistes fuscatus) queen at Lake Meyer Park IA 653A0338
We've had several nights with frost or freezing temperatures during the past week so most insect activity is over for the year save for a lucky few. This female (queen) northern paper wasp can withstand freezing temperatures and when it gets a little colder she will simply crawl under some leaves on the forest floor and stay frozen until spring when she thaws out and starts a new northern paper wasp colony. Right now the ground is still warm enough that she can crawl out from her winter hide on warm sunny days and fatten up on some food yet. Male and worker paper wasps cannot survive freezing temperatures and have perished at this point in time. This female is filling up on a rotting apple that the deer haven't devoured yet.