Insects · La Saladita, Guerrero

Executioner Paper Wasp

Polistes carnifex

Spanish: Avispa ahogadora

Executioner Paper Wasp (Polistes carnifex)
Photographed by daniel_brito on iNaturalist · CC-BY-NC

Polistes carnifex, also known as the Executioner Wasp, is a neotropical vespid wasp in the cosmopolitan genus Polistes and is native to Central and South America. It is a very large yellow and brown paper wasp that establishes small colonies which build nests under the eaves of buildings or suspended from branches. The colonies are often founded by solitary queens, many times in the form of winter aggregations to wait until environmental conditions are more suitable

TaxonomyInsecta › Hymenoptera › Vespidae
Local records12 research-grade observations within about 50 km of La Saladita (the survey box also takes in Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa and Troncones)
Global records3,542 on iNaturalist
Most recent records2022 – 2025
Months of the 8 most recent records
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Recent local sightings

Interactive card with more photos, sounds and similar species Insects guide iNaturalist Wikipedia

Cite as: “Executioner Paper Wasp (Polistes carnifex) at La Saladita”, La Saladita Field Guide, lasaladita.com/species/polistes-carnifex/, updated 2026-09-26. Observation counts and months come from iNaturalist research-grade records within about 50 km of 17.8375°N, 101.7606°W (the survey box also takes in Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa and Troncones); summary text from Wikipedia where present.