<p>In ectotherms metabolic rate usually increases disproportionately with ambient temperature within the viable thermal range. This leads to an expectation of a physiological adaptation which balances the benefits and costs of the environmental conditions of the habitat. <i>Polistes</i> paper wasps is a globally distributed genus that inhabits a wide range of thermal environments. Their metabolism and energy requirements are expected to be dependent on life history and the environmental conditions of their habitat. We examined the CO₂ production of larvae and pupae of three species (<i>P. dominula</i>, <i>P. gallicus</i>, <i>P. biglumis</i>) from different climates (Temperate, Mediterranean, Alpine). We investigated larvae and pupae across a temperature range of 5–45&#xa0;°C. In combination with microclimate measurements, we estimated the energy requirements for an entire breeding season. The metabolic rate increased sigmoidally with increasing temperature in all species and stages. A comparison of the mass-specific metabolic rate revealed a similar relationship in all species and stages, with the exception of <i>P. gallicus</i> larvae which had a significantly lower metabolism, particularly at higher temperatures. The energy expenditure was lowest in <i>P. biglumis</i>, which was mainly attributed to the lower environmental temperatures. When calculating energy requirements under future conditions with increasing temperatures, an additional energetic demand of between 6 and 23% was observed.</p>