---
title: "Metric Paper Wasp"
description: "Polistes metricus — Owady i pająki. Polistes metricus (metric paper wasp or metricus paper wasp) is a wasp native to North America."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/pl/animal/metric-paper-wasp
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Metric Paper Wasp

> Polistes metricus — Owady i pająki. Polistes metricus (metric paper wasp or metricus paper wasp) is a wasp native to North America.

- Scientific name: *Polistes metricus*
- Category: `insects` (Owady i pająki)
- Habitats: `urban` (Miasta i ogrody)
- iNaturalist observations: 35318
- Wikidata: [Q7210117](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7210117)
- iNaturalist taxon: [120010](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/120010)

## Names

- en: Metric Paper Wasp
- es: Avispa papelera casaca roja

## Countries with the most observations

US (22885), CA (58)

## Summary

Polistes metricus (metric paper wasp or metricus paper wasp) is a wasp native to North America. In the United States, it ranges throughout the southern Midwest, the South, and as far northeast as New York, but has recently been spotted in southwest Ontario. A single female specimen has also been reported from Dryden, Maine. P. metricus is dark colored, with yellow tarsi and black tibia. Nests of P. metricus can be found attached to the sides of buildings, trees, and shrubbery.
Like other Polistes species, P. metricus has evolved eusociality and demonstrates behaviors including nestmate discrimination and local mate…

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polistes_metricus

## Photo

![Metric Paper Wasp](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/metric-paper-wasp/medium.jpg)

Photo: Adam Kranz · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/81466870

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/metric-paper-wasp?lang=pl` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).