The exotic Macao paper wasp, Polistes olivaceus (Hymenoptera: Vespidae), also called yellow oriental paper wasp, was first detected in the Cocos-Keeling Islands in 2015.
The Cocos-Keeling Islands (CKI) are an Australian external territory in the Indian Ocean, midway between Australia and Sri Lanka and close to Indonesia.
The islands consist of two atolls made up of 27 coral islands, of which only two are inhabited with a population of around 600 residents, plus visitors. The islands are a tropical oasis of white-sandy beaches and coconut palms and are known for their pristine oceans and azure waters, attracting tourists from around the world.
The Macao paper wasp (MPW) is a large social Polistine wasp exotic to Australia and its territories. The wasp is up to 26mm long, deep yellow in colour, has yellow antennae and legs and wavy black abdominal bands that can distinguish it from other Polistine wasps.