Tachypompilus ferrugineus
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Tachypompilus ferrugineus, the rusty spider wasp, red-tailed spider hunter, or sometimes red-tailed spider wasp (but that name is also used for the Asian species Tachypompilus analis) is a species of spider wasp from the Americas. It preys mainly on wandering spiders, especially wolf spiders.
A mostly reddish-brown wasp, with four narrow dark bands circling the abdomen, and with violet-blue wings its body measures 15–25 mm (0.59–0.98 in) in length. This wasp is from as far north as Canada south through the United States, Mexico, and Central America to South America and the Caribbean.
The nine recognised subspecies of T. ferrugineus include: Tachypompilus ferrugineus annexus Tachypompilus ferrugineus bicolor Banks, Hispaniola and Cuba. Tachypompilus ferrugineus ferrugineus Say, the nominate subspecies from the south eastern United States.
Tachypompilus ferrugineus nigrescens Banks, found in the more northerly part of the species range in the eastern United States Tachypompilus ferrugineus torridus Banks, the Sonoran Desert and adjacent regions of southern California, southern Utah, southwestern New Mexico, western Texas south to... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 5 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Rusty Spider Wasp sighting in Austin on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 1503rd most-seen of the 1624 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Rusty Spider Wasp in Austin on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Rusty Spider Wasp sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 5 cities where we can rate Rusty Spider Wasp sightings, Austin ranks 5th at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Baltimore (United States, under 5%), Washington (United States, under 5%) and New York City (United States, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Rusty Spider Wasp is recorded against all the insects logged in Austin (5 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.
