Polybia paulista
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Polybia paulista is a species of eusocial wasp occurring in Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. The venom of P. paulista contains a peptide with potential use as a chemotherapeutic substance named Polybia-MP1. This peptide kills cancerous cells while leaving healthy cells intact.
Polybia paulista are found in tropical areas of Argentina, Paraguay and are prevalent in Brazil, specifically São Paulo. Nesting and colonization tends to occur in areas where they have protection from weathering. There can be up to three colonies in the same location, and swarms are present periodically. Initial development of the nest begins with swarming or absconding in which the first comb is used to fix the nest to a substrate. The first comb does have the development of envelopes but no eggs are found, due to the low survival rate. During this period there is a large percentage of the colony on the exterior of the nest due to the lack of available space inside the nest. This creates a tight cluster of wasps around the nest, which limits access of the nest to predators, such as ants. The swarm on the exterior of the nest is no longer present around the 10 day period. This time can fluctuate... Wikipedia →
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More parks will be added in future updates.
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Polybia paulista sighting in Curitiba on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 159th most-seen of the 177 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.
April, July–August and October
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Polybia paulista in Curitiba on a given day, against under 5% in May–June, September and November–March, the lowest months.
Among the best
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Polybia paulista sightings, Curitiba ranks 4th at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Campinas (Brazil, about 10%), São Paulo (Brazil, about 10%) and Brasilia (Brazil, about 10%).
Same genus: Polybia
The closest relatives of the Polybia paulista that you can see in Curitiba (genus Polybia, Long-waisted Honey Wasps) are Polybia ignobilis (about 10%) and Polybia fastidiosuscula (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Polybia paulista is recorded against all the insects logged in Curitiba (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.
