Fraternal Potter Wasp

Fraternal Potter Wasp

Eumenes fraternus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Baltimore

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%

51 Verified sightings at Baltimore
68 In all 5 parks From 2019 to 2026
September Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Fraternal Potter Wasp

Eumenes fraternus is a species of potter wasp in the subfamily Eumeninae of the family Vespidae. It is native to the eastern United States and Canada. The female builds a miniature pot out of mud in which it lays an egg and places a live caterpillar. Its developing larva feeds on this whereas the adult wasp feeds primarily on nectar.

Wasps in the genus Eumenes can be recognised by the fact that the first abdominal segment is long and slender, very thin at the front and widening towards the back. Eumenes fraternus is about 15 to 20 mm (0.6 to 0.8 in) long and is similar in appearance to other members of the genus. Its colouring is black with a scattering of ivory-coloured markings. The forewings are 8 to 10.5 mm (0.3 to 0.4 in) long in the male and 10 to 12.5 mm (0.4 to 0.5 in) in the female. It has shorter pubescence on the first segment of the antenna than do the otherwise similar E. crucifera and E. verticalis.

Eumenes fraternus is found in the eastern United States and Canada. Its range extends west as far as Ontario, Minnesota, Kansas and Texas. It is on the wing from about April to November in North Carolina and is found in glades... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
3 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Minneapolis [Saint Paul] 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Boston 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Baltimore 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Detroit 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Washington 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
6 Houston 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
7 Toronto 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
8 Montreal 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
9 New York City 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
10 Philadelphia 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Fraternal Potter Wasp in Baltimore?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Fraternal Potter Wasp sighting in Baltimore on a given day, based on 51 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 95th most-seen of the 705 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Fraternal Potter Wasp in Baltimore?

September

In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Fraternal Potter Wasp in Baltimore on a given day, against under 5% in November to June, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Fraternal Potter Wasp?

Between 11 am and 2 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Fraternal Potter Wasp sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Baltimore the best place to see a Fraternal Potter Wasp?

Among the best

Of the 15 cities where we can rate Fraternal Potter Wasp sightings, Baltimore ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] (United States, about 10%) and Boston (United States, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Fraternal Potter Wasp live in Baltimore?

Same family: Vespidae

The closest relatives of the Fraternal Potter Wasp that you can see in Baltimore (family Vespidae, Hornets, Paper Wasps, Potter Wasps, and Allies) are Bald-Faced Hornet (about 20%), European Hornet (about 10%) and Southern Yellowjacket (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Fraternal Potter Wasp sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Fraternal Potter Wasp is recorded against all the insects logged in Baltimore (51 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.

← Back to Baltimore