Saw a Polistes bellicosus

I saw a beautiful Polistes bellicosus today! She was buzzing around while our school's rocket team was preparing to launch. After our rocket blew up just inches off of the platform I lost sight of it, but it was really a beauty.

You better watch those bellicosus! I hear they have one the the worst temperments when it comes to Polistes

Hmm... I raised a colony last year, and they seemed pretty calm... Maybe it was just the kind of personality that queen had...?

Could be that they just got accustomed to you I guess. One of the experts at bugguide once said
"Bellicosus is one of the more aggressive species, nearly every nest I have found, I get chased even when I'm 5 feet away!"

Hmm. maybe it has to do with the type of climate. At school there was a colony that would let me get right up to them. Maybe mild temperatures help the wasps calm down...?

Wow thats even worse then a yellow jacket nest.I can stand there and jump up and down and they don't chase me.D maculata is an exspetion i could chased just for breathing 6 feed away from them!