These "top-up" stamps, issued in 2010, feature the paper wasp (Polistes fuscatus).

Good to know

Pane of 50 "top-up" stamps worth 4¢ each
Use as a "top-up" to transform denominated stamps into current-rate U.S., International and Oversize postage
Perfect for children as an introduction to stamp collecting

About Beneficial Insects low value definitives

This collection of low value definitives issued in 2010 features five of Canada's beneficial insects: the paper wasp (Polistes fuscatus), the assassin bug (Zelus luridus), the large milkweed bug (Oncopeltus fasciatus), the margined leatherwing (Chauliognathus marginatus) and the dogbane beetle (Chrysochus auratus).

About the paper wasp

They skitter, scamper, and sometimes sting; we call them bugs for our own reasons. But, as any veteran gardener will tell you, one person's pest is another person's helper. The paper wasp is a wonder to watch at work in the garden, where it chomps away on caterpillars and other gardening pests.

About the design

Designed and illustrated by Keith Martin, these playful stamps feature the paper wasp. The wasp's slender and elongated frame appears at the stamp's centre in russet-brown hues punctuated by black and yellow accents. Its delicate semi-transparent wings flutter at its sides in muted colours as the insect glides over a soft pastel blue hues. The Latin name for the paper wasp, Polistes fuscatus, is printed in white italic letters in the top right corner of the stamp. Dark edges fade into a unified border, framing the illustration and allowing the 50 stamps to blend into one another on the pane.

Product # 420004107

Beneficial Insects: Low value definitive stamps (4¢) - pane of 50