Ancistrocerus gazella
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
Ancistrocerus gazella, known as the European potter wasp or European tube wasp, is a species of potter wasp. As an imago (adult), the female collects as many as 20 caterpillars for each nest, which consists of a single cell. Her larval offspring then feed on these inside the nest, which is sealed with mud arranged by her. As adults, they eat nectar and aphid honeydew. Males cannot sting, and the sting of a female is not painful. They can be found on windows, foraging for nectar on flowers, or searching out small cracks or holes in which to nest. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auckland | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 2 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Melbourne | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 8 | Detroit | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a European Tube Wasp sighting in Auckland on a given day, based on 98 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 69th most-seen of the 689 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February and March
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a European Tube Wasp in Auckland on a given day, against under 5% in May and July–September, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most European Tube Wasp sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 13 cities where we can rate European Tube Wasp sightings, Auckland has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Boston (United States, about 10%) and Melbourne (Australia, about 10%).
Same family: Vespidae
The closest relatives of the European Tube Wasp that you can see in Auckland (family Vespidae, Hornets, Paper Wasps, Potter Wasps, and Allies) are Common European Yellowjacket (about 10%) and German Yellowjacket (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the European Tube Wasp is recorded against all the insects logged in Auckland (98 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.
