Asian paper wasp

The Asian paper wasp, also known as the Chinese or Japanese paper wasp, is found in East Asia, China and Japan. It is invasive in New Zealand, having arrived in 1979. It has since been found in NSW. I discovered this nest on one of the large metal containers used for growing plants in the local community garden. Note the eggs in the cells on the left hand side.

These creatures can sting but they seemed unperturbed by me and the camera. Still I wasn't going to push my luck and left them in peace as soon as I had a shot.

Thanks for hosting KangaZu.