CIBED - - Yellow Paper-wasp

Polistes olivaceus Yellow Paper-wasp Rango Patia ^RR

f.VESPIDAE Wasps sf.Polistinae

Polistes olivaceus Yellow Paper-wasp Rango Patia ^RR

f.VESPIDAE Wasps sf.Polistinae

Cook Islands Status Summary

Show Notes

Intl. NamesYellow Paper‑wasp ^EN Redbrown Paper‑wasp ^EN Yellow Oriental Paper‑wasp ^EN Feldwespe ^DE

Local NamesRango Patia^RR Rango Pao^RR,MG Koonga^AT Ko‘onga^MK,MT Rango Pātia^AK

Pacific NamesNo Content

Sci. NamesPolistes olivaceus (accepted name) , Polistes (Gyrostoma) olivaceus, Vespa olivacea, Polistes hebraeus, Polistes macaensis

High Tax. Eng.k.Animals, p.Arthropods, spc.Hexapods, c.Insects, spf.Wasps, f.Wasps, sf.Paper Wasps - Wasp

High Tax. Latink.ANIMALIA, p.ARTHROPODA, sp.ATELOCERATA, spc.HEXAPODA, c.INSECTA, sc.PTERYGOTA, o.Hymenoptera, so.Apocrita, io.Aculeata, spf.Vespoidea, f.VESPIDAE, sf.Polistinae

Natl. PresencePresent

Sth. PresenceRR⁺⁺⁺⁺MG⁺⁺⁺AT⁺⁺⁺MK⁺⁺⁺MT⁺⁺⁺AK⁺⁺⁺PL?MN?TK?

Nth. PresenceTN^-MH?RK?PK^-NS?SW⁺⁺

VouchersRR¹⁹⁸⁰ MG²⁰⁰⁴ AT¹⁹⁸⁰ MK¹⁹⁸⁰ MT¹⁹⁸⁰ AK¹⁹⁸⁰ TN²⁰⁰¹ PK²⁰⁰⁴ SW¹⁹⁸⁵

Local OriginIntroduced; Recent; Naturalised

Global RangeNative: India - e.Asia; Introduced: e.Africa - Marquesas, Easter Is.; Hawai‘i;

HabitatLand; Lowlands, Horticultural Zone; Uplands

ThreatenedNo Content

InvasivenessInvasive

BiosecurityNo Content

Medical StatusNo Content

Harmful StatusHarmful; injects venom

UsesNo Content

IdentificationLarge, 20mm TL. THORAX dorsal shield black with two long and wide longitudinal yellow stripes, expanded anteriorly, and yellow patches laterally; anteo-lateral plates yellow rimmed with dark centres; posterior plate orange-brown with posterior yellowmore... bar; WAIST mainly yellow, with black lines; ABDOMEN anterior yellow, 2nd seg red yellow with fine black band, remainder yellow with black bands. WINGS yellow. LEGS yellow-brown (male - inner seg. with black).

Similar SpeciesDark-waist Paper-Hornet (Polistes jadwigae) has overall blamore...ck waist (vs. mainly yellow); thorax-shield black with two uniformly-narrow parallel lines (vs two anteriorly expanded wide parallel lines); wings smoky-brown (vs yellow).

Interest NoteNest of chewed wood fibre attached by a narrow stalk under leaves and branches, or building overhands.

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Multimedia & Other Resources

Photographs: 8
Video: 0
Audio: 0
Documents: 0
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5AUz062Pol_Poli-oliv_

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Queen and workers on nest

Female and male specimens

Large nest: ~24cmØ with ~900 cells

Male - lateral and face

Specimen displaying wings

Male - dorsal

Paper-wasp infected by parasitic fungi (cordyceps)

Tearing up wood fiber

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Queen and workers on nest (jpg)
Female and male specimens (jpg)
Large nest: ~24cmØ with ~900 cells (jpg)
Male - lateral and face (jpg)
Specimen displaying wings (jpg)
Male - dorsal (jpg)
Paper-wasp infected by parasitic fungi (cordyceps) (jpg)
Tearing up wood fiber (jpg)

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Vernacular Names

English and International Names

Yellow Paper-wasp ^EN Redbrown Paper-wasp^EN Yellow Oriental Paper-wasp^EN Feldwespe^DE

Pacific Names

No Pacific Names

Local Names

Rango Patia^RR Rango Pao^RR,MG Koonga^AT Ko‘onga^MK,MT Rango Pātia^AK

National Name: Rango Patia ^RR

Island	Status	Main name
National name	RR	Rango Patia
Rarotonga	++++	Rango Patia / Rango Pao
Mangaia	+++	Rango Pao
Ātiu	+++	Koonga
Ma‘uke	+++	Ko‘onga
Miti‘āro	+++	Ko‘onga
Aitutaki	+++	Rango Pātia
Palmerston		?P,?N
Tongareva-write	-	A,nN
Tongareva-speak	-	A,nN
Manihiki		?P,?N
Rakahanga		?P,?N
Pukapuka	-	A,nN
Nassau		?P,?N

Scientific Names and Taxonomy

National Distribution & Vouchers

National Presence:

Present

Oceanic

islands: [ , {label: 'Rarotonga', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 404.5, left: 210.5, labelLeft: 222, labelTop: 404} , {label: 'Mangaia', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 427.5, left: 261.5, labelLeft: 274, labelTop: 426} , {label: 'Ātiu', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 372.5, left: 261.5, labelLeft: 244, labelTop: 382} , {label: 'Ma‘uke', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 374.5, left: 282.5, labelLeft: 284, labelTop: 385} , {label: 'Miti‘āro', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 358.5, left: 274.5, labelLeft: 283, labelTop: 351} , {label: 'Aitutaki', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 334.5, left: 210.5, labelLeft: 209, labelTop: 321} , {label: 'Palmerston', stroke: '#0000a0', fill: '#fff', symbol: 'WR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 309.5, left: 112.5, labelLeft: 124, labelTop: 309} , {label: 'Manuae', stroke: '#0000a0', fill: '#fff', symbol: 'WR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 346.5, left: 234.5, labelLeft: 244, labelTop: 338} , {label: 'Takūtea', stroke: '#0000a0', fill: '#fff', symbol: 'WR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 362.5, left: 254.5, labelLeft: 211, labelTop: 363} , {label: 'Tongareva', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 32.5, left: 260.5, labelLeft: 205, labelTop: 31} , {label: 'Manihiki', stroke: '#0000a0', fill: '#fff', symbol: 'WR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 80.5, left: 175.5, labelLeft: 187, labelTop: 80} , {label: 'Rakahanga', stroke: '#0000a0', fill: '#fff', symbol: 'WR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 63.5, left: 173.5, labelLeft: 186, labelTop: 63} , {label: 'Pukapuka', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 88.5, left: 33.5, labelLeft: 45, labelTop: 88} , {label: 'Nassau', stroke: '#0000a0', fill: '#fff', symbol: 'WR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 108.5, left: 46.5, labelLeft: 59, labelTop: 108} , {label: 'Suwarrow', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 162.5, left: 115.5, labelLeft: 127, labelTop: 162} ] , legend: [{label: 'Not Assessed', top: 235, stroke: '#0000a0', fill: '#ffffff', symbol: 'WR', tris: '', trif: ''}, {label: 'Present', top: 250, stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: ''}, {label: '? Present', top: 265, stroke: '#006600', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GWR', tris: '#ACACAC', trif: '#ffffff'}, {label: 'Absent', top: 280, stroke: '#C00000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: ''}, {label: '? Absent', top: 295, stroke: '#C00000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RWR', tris: '#c0c0c0', trif: '#ffffff'}, {label: 'Intercepted', top: 312, stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RDR', tris: '#000000', trif: '#000000'}, {label: 'Extirpated/Extinct', top: 331, stroke: '#006600', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'RGR', tris: '#660000', trif: '#CC0000'} ]

Island	Status
Rarotonga	++++
Mangaia	+++
Ātiu	+++
Ma‘uke	+++
Miti‘āro	+++
Aitutaki	+++
Palmerston
Manuae
Takūtea
Tongareva	Absent
Manihiki
Rakahanga
Pukapuka	Absent
Nassau
Suwarrow	++

Note: S.Group - widespread; N.Group ?absent

Vouchers for:
Polistes olivaceus

Cook Islands

Southern

Northern

Oceanic

Rarotonga _____ 1980 1csP specimen+photo specimen+photo, 1980s, G.McCormack with ID as Polistes olivaceus; specimen, Arorangi upper beach, fallow land and on Raemaru, 2004/9, M.Kuhlmann, in 2006 paper as Polistes olivaceus;

Mangaia _____ 2004 1cs specimen specimen, Ivirua, on makatea 30m elev., 2004/9, M.Kuhlmann with ID as Polistes olivaceus.

Ātiu _____ 1980 2fs fieldspecimen fieldspecimen, 1980s, G.McCormack with ID as Polistes olivaceus;

Ma‘uke _____ 1980 2fs fieldspecimen fieldspecimen, 1980s, G.McCormack with ID as Polistes olivaceus;

Miti‘āro _____ 1980 2fs fieldspecimen fieldspecimen, 1980s, G.McCormack with ID as Polistes olivaceus;

Aitutaki _____ 1980 2fs fieldspecimen fieldspecimen, 1980s, G.McCormack with ID as Polistes olivaceus;

Palmerston

Manuae

Takūtea

Tongareva _____ 2001 9uc not classified not found, 2001/01, G.McCormack.

Manihiki

Rakahanga

Pukapuka _____ 2004 9uc not classified not found, 2004, G.McCormack.

Nassau

Suwarrow _____ 1985 2fs fieldspecimen fieldspecimen, 1985, G.McCormack with ID as Polistes olivaceus

Identification

Interest NoteNest of chewed wood fibre attached by a narrow stalk under leaves and branches, or building overhands.

Editors NotesNotes on distribution: Polistes olivaceus is native to the Oriental region, where it is known as the "common yellow wasp of India" (Horne & Smith 1872; Alam 1958) and in China as a "natural enemyof wild silkworms" (Su 1958).During the past century itmore... has been accidentally introduced by man (often repeatedly)into parts of the Ethiopian region, e.g., Zanzibar, Madagascar, Seychelles, and Mauritius(Baltazar 1966; Schultz 1905), and throughout the Pacific, e.g., Hawaii (Van Zwaluwenburg, Rust& Rosa 1944), Easter Island, Tahiti (Roman 1924), Sunda Islands (Schultz 1905), Marquesas Islands (Baltazar 1966), Samoa, Tonga, New Caledonia,Marianas Islands (Bequaert& Yasumatsu 1939), and Fiji (Williams 1947). It has recently become established ("perhaps only temporarily") in Queensland, Australia (Richards 1978pers. comm.). Because of its distribution in the Pacific region, it is sometimes called "the Fiji Hornet" (Thomson 1923) or "the Pacific Island Hornet" (Miller 1971).

Carol's wasps:

No: 27 Photo

Scientific Name: Polistes olivaceus

Family: Hymenoptera, Vespidae

Habitat:

Identification: Body length 23mm. Large golden brown and black social, predatory wasp. Antennae: yellow, with black at long basal segment, and at tip. Head: large compound eyes, black-ringed, with black across vertex and 3 ocelli. Thorax: Strong black markings, slightly humped. Abdomen: Short narrow waist, black lines across each segment, dwindling towards rear. Heavy black markings on second segment. Legs: long, black and yellow, with double spurs on mid and hind-tibiae. Wings: 2 prs clear gold, linked with line of hooks.

Nutshell: Big yellow and black wasp with a painful sting!

Local Origin and Global Range

Habitat

no data available

Threatened

Invasive/Pest Status

no data available

Biosecurity

Medicinal

no data available

Species Uses

References

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2026) Cook Islands Biodiversity & Ethnobiology Database, Version 2026.04.21 - Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at https://naturalheritage.gov.ck/cibed
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