Xanthocryptus novozealandicus
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
Xanthocryptus novozealandicus, the lemon tree borer parasite, is a wasp in the family Ichneumonidae. It is a native insect of New Zealand. It is also found in Australia and New Guinea. Females hunt for larvae of wood-boring beetles around March, including the lemon tree borer (Oemona hirta), a native cerambycid that tunnels into citrus trees, grapes and many native species. When a suitable host is found, the female pushes her ovipositor through the wood and injects her eggs into the grub. This has the incidental benefit of helping to control some pests. X. novozealandicus prefers to prey on second year lemon tree borer larvae. This specific parasite prefers to prey on larger second year larvae due to its larger size.
The female X. novozealandicus is larger than the male of the species, with the female reaching between 9 and 15mm long, while the males are between 5 and 11mm long. They exhibit primarily black coloration with white spots covering their thorax and white stripes along their abdomen and head. Their front legs tend to be short and their back four legs much longer with primarily reddish-brown coloration and black tips. The back two legs have a single set of... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Lemon Tree Borer Parasitoid Wasp sighting in Auckland on a given day, based on 49 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 134th most-seen of the 689 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September and November–April
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Lemon Tree Borer Parasitoid Wasp in Auckland on a given day, against under 5% in May–August and October, the lowest months.
Yes
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Lemon Tree Borer Parasitoid Wasp sightings, Auckland has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Sydney (Australia, under 5%).
Same family: Ichneumonidae
The closest relatives of the Lemon Tree Borer Parasitoid Wasp that you can see in Auckland (family Ichneumonidae, Ichneumonid Wasps) are Glabridorsum stokesii (about 10%), Black-Tipped Orange Ichneumon Wasp (about 10%) and Orchid Dupe Wasp (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Lemon Tree Borer Parasitoid Wasp is recorded against all the insects logged in Auckland (49 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.
