European paper wasp (Polistes dominula) standing on the surface of a swimming pool as it drinks from it. The wasp's body is covered in cuticular hydrocarbons, which are hydrophobic (water repellent), allowing the wasp to stand on the water. The European paper wasp is a social insect that mixes fibres from dead wood and plant stems with saliva to produce a papery material with which it constructs a water-resistant nest.

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Size: 4800px × 4665px
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Photo credit: © MARTYN F. CHILLMAID/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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