Polistes humilis
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Polistes humilis, known as the Australian paper wasp, is a species of wasp in the family Vespidae that is found throughout Australia and which has been introduced to northern New Zealand. These paper wasps can be identified by their long thin legs and banded yellow and black coloring. They have been known to re-utilize old nests. While the species does not exhibit morphological class differences, there are distinct behavioral differences between queens and workers. In addition, the species is eusocial and benefits from relatedness between individuals. They are known for delivering a painful sting, especially when their nest is disturbed, a behavior that has been developed as a nest defense mechanism. While wasps are often viewed negatively, they play an important pollination role for many plants.
Polistes humilis is in the genus Polistes, which consists of 150 species that can be found in all regions except the world's coldest climates. Polistes humilis was the only species of the tribe Polistini found in New Zealand after it was accidentally introduced from Australia, prior to the introduction of the Asian paper wasp, Polistes chinensis in 1979. There are... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Australian Paper Wasp sighting in Auckland on a given day, based on 137 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 46th most-seen of the 689 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February to May
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report an Australian Paper Wasp in Auckland on a given day, against about 10% in June to January, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Australian Paper Wasp sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 5 cities where we can rate Australian Paper Wasp sightings, Auckland has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Sydney (Australia, about 10%) and Brisbane (Australia, about 10%).
Same genus: Polistes
The closest relatives of the Australian Paper Wasp that you can see in Auckland (genus Polistes, Umbrella Paper Wasps) are Asian Paper Wasp (about 20%) and European Paper Wasp (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Australian Paper Wasp is recorded against all the insects logged in Auckland (137 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
