Hunter's Little Paper Wasp (Polistes dorsalis), male, taken May 23, 2026, in Georgia, US
A small and cautious paper wasp holding still in the hopes that I'll lose interest in him! This is my first male paper wasp of the year, so nests are just now becoming developed enough to produce male offspring. He initially caught my eye because, unlike the ever-moving females, he was sitting very still on a leaf. I came closer to see if there was something wrong, but one look at his antennae told me all I needed to know. Male wasps are much more prone to freezing up in the face of danger than females are, as they don't have the option to sting a threat. Their only defense mechanisms are sitting still and flying away, and they'll almost always try stealth first. This individual sat in place the whole time I was near him, continuing on his way only after I left. What a brave bug!
