Insects · La Saladita, Guerrero

Unstable Paper Wasp

Polistes instabilis

Spanish: Avispa guitarrilla

Polistes instabilis, a type of paper wasp, is a neotropical, eusocial wasp (family Vespidae) that can be found in tropical and subtropical areas such as Central America and South America. It can be easily identified with its characteristic yellow, brown, and reddish markings, and it builds nests made from chewing plant fibers and making them into paper.

TaxonomyInsecta › Hymenoptera › Vespidae

Local records21 research-grade observations within about 50 km of La Saladita (the survey box also takes in Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa and Troncones)

Global records6,055 on iNaturalist

Most recent records2025 – 2026

Months of the 8 most recent records

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Recent local sightings

2026-07-09 — observation by daniel_brito
2026-01-02 — observation by daniel_brito
2025-11-17 — observation by zihuadean
2025-11-03 — observation by mmarya
2025-08-24 — observation by antonio_perez2
2025-08-22 — observation by javiperezsoza

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

Cite as: “Unstable Paper Wasp (Polistes instabilis) at La Saladita”, La Saladita Field Guide, lasaladita.com/species/polistes-instabilis/, 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.