Solar Panels as Novel Nest Sites for the European Paper Wasp .

Solar energy facilities are rapidly expanding in their land-use footprint worldwide, with significant implications for biodiversity. Although the impacts of conventional solar development are often negative for biodiversity, it is possible for some species to take advantage of the novel anthropogenic structures and microhabitats provided by solar facilities. We describe the frequent nesting of non-native European paper wasps () at two solar facilities in the Central Valley of California (USA), conducting nest censuses to further investigate population density and nest siting behaviour.