Australian paper wasp.
(Polistes humilis)
The first exotic wasp recorded in New Zealand was the Australian paper wasp in Northland in the 1880s. The German wasp arrived with aeroplane parts shipped from Britain after World War II, and the common wasp turned up in the 1970s. The last wasp to arrive was the Asian paper wasp, first found near Auckland in 1979. Today, common and German wasps are widespread throughout New Zealand. Common wasps reach their highest densities in honeydew beech forest, where they have largely displaced German wasps. The Asian paper wasp is still extending its range, while the Australian paper wasp remains confined to the north of the North Island. Original public domain image from Flickr
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