About Ropalidia revolutionalis (de Saussure, 1854)
Ropalidia revolutionalis are small wasps, with bodies colored dark reddish brown and measuring between 8 and 10 mm in length. Close examination reveals distinct patterns on their bodies, and their eyes are made up of multiple lenses. They are slightly smaller than wasp species in the Polistes family, due to the fact that the abdominal segment directly after their waist is slimmer than the segment that comes after it. While these wasps are not especially aggressive, they will sting if their nests are disturbed. The nests of Ropalidia revolutionalis are formed from several individual combs, each around 100 mm long. Each comb holds two columns of cells, and the whole nest hangs like a stick from a branch. Nests are most often positioned on shrubs, in hanging baskets, under building eaves, or in other similar sheltered spots. This wasp species occurs primarily in south-eastern through to northern Queensland, Australia.
