Sceliphron spirifex
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Sceliphron spirifex is a species of sphecid wasp. It has a medium-sized body (17–27 millimetres or 0.7–1.1 inches), which is dull black with a long, yellow petiole (waist). The legs are black with yellow bands, the antennae are black and the wings are clear.
Females build large multi-celled mud nests attached to cliffs, rocks, tree trunks, bridges and buildings. The cells are mass-provisioned with several spiders and sealed with mud. S. spirifex lives in diverse habitats across Africa and Southern Europe, but is strongly associated with buildings and other man-made structures. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Sceliphron spirifex sighting in Cape Town on a given day, based on 21 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 145th most-seen of the 311 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
December to March
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Sceliphron spirifex in Cape Town on a given day, against under 5% in April to November, the lowest months. Those are among Cape Town's driest months, with about 20 mm of rain a month against 140 mm in June.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Sceliphron spirifex sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
10th of 10
Of the 10 cities where we can rate Sceliphron spirifex sightings, Cape Town ranks 10th at under 5%. The best odds are in Valencia (Spain, about 10%), Naples (Italy, about 10%) and Tel Aviv (Israel, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Sceliphron spirifex is recorded against all the insects logged in Cape Town (21 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.
