Paper wasps (Polistes), are fascinating social insects renowned for constructing exposed, umbrella-shaped nests crafted from chewed wood. To protect their brood from overheating on sweltering days, these wasps utilize a clever cooling technique: they gather water, spread it inside the nest’s cells, and rapidly fan their wings to drive evaporative cooling. Within the colony, order is maintained through raw power; a Polistes queen establishes dominance by physically confronting her workers and eating any eggs they lay to ensure her own offspring take precedence. If you encounter one, keep in mind that only the females sting, as the stinger itself is biologically a modified ovipositor (egg-laying tube). I crossed paths with a particularly impressive specimen of this large wasp while visiting the island of Okinawa, Japan.