Polistes humilis
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Polistes humilis, known as the Australian paper wasp, is a species of wasp in the family Vespidae that is found throughout Australia and which has been introduced to northern New Zealand. These paper wasps can be identified by their long thin legs and banded yellow and black coloring. They have been known to re-utilize old nests. While the species does not exhibit morphological class differences, there are distinct behavioral differences between queens and workers. In addition, the species is eusocial and benefits from relatedness between individuals. They are known for delivering a painful sting, especially when their nest is disturbed, a behavior that has been developed as a nest defense mechanism. While wasps are often viewed negatively, they play an important pollination role for many plants.
Polistes humilis is in the genus Polistes, which consists of 150 species that can be found in all regions except the world's coldest climates. Polistes humilis was the only species of the tribe Polistini found in New Zealand after it was accidentally introduced from Australia, prior to the introduction of the Asian paper wasp, Polistes chinensis in 1979. There are... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Australian Paper Wasp sighting in Melbourne on a given day, based on 111 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 118th most-seen of the 875 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.
July and October–April
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Australian Paper Wasp in Melbourne on a given day, against under 5% in May–June and August–September, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Australian Paper Wasp sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 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 Australian Paper Wasp sightings, Melbourne ranks 5th at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Auckland (New Zealand, about 10%), Sydney (Australia, about 10%) and Brisbane (Australia, about 10%).
Same genus: Polistes
The closest relatives of the Australian Paper Wasp that you can see in Melbourne (genus Polistes, Umbrella Paper Wasps) are Asian Paper Wasp (about 10%) and European Paper Wasp (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Australian Paper Wasp is recorded against all the insects logged in Melbourne (111 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.
