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German wasp face Along with the closely related common wasp and two species of Polistes, the German wasp is considered to be a pest in New Zealand. It was probably introduced in the late 19th century, but did not appear in large numbers until around 1940. It is common in the beech forest since it is one of the two wasps that feeds on the honeydew exuded by the native beech scale insect which lives in the bark of the trees. It has a serious effect on the forest ecology since there is less honeydew available for the native birds. Watching wasps return to their home at dusk is one method recommended to locate nests. |
