Cerceris fumipennis
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Cerceris fumipennis, the only species of buprestid-hunting Philanthidae occurring in eastern North America, is found throughout the continental United States east of the Rockies, from Texas and Florida north to Maine, Wyoming, and into Canada. The wasps most often nest in open areas of hard-packed sandy soil surrounded by woody habitat suitable for their buprestid beetle prey.
Cerceris fumipennis is distinguished by five conspicuous characteristics: It is large, about the size of common yellow jacket wasps. It has dark smoky, blue/black wings. The wasp's body is predominantly black except for a few yellow markings.
It has a conspicuous, single, broad, creamy yellow abdominal band. Females have three creamy patches between the eyes, while males are marked with two yellow triangles abutting their eyes. Cerceris fumipennis is a solitary, ground-nesting wasp. Each lone female constructs and attempts to maintain a single subterranean nest for the duration of the flight season. Her solitary nest is in close proximity to others, forming a neighborhood or informal colony of nests. The nest's entrance is easily visible, marked by a small, circular mound... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Smoky-Winged Beetle Bandit Wasp sighting in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] on a given day, based on 22 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 260th most-seen of the 672 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.
July and August
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Smoky-Winged Beetle Bandit Wasp in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] on a given day, against under 5% in September to June, the lowest months. Those are among Minneapolis [Saint Paul]'s wettest months, with about 100 mm of rain a month against 20 mm in January.
2nd of 9
Of the 9 cities where we can rate Smoky-Winged Beetle Bandit Wasp sightings, Minneapolis [Saint Paul] ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Boston (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Crabronidae
The closest relatives of the Smoky-Winged Beetle Bandit Wasp that you can see in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] (family Crabronidae, Square-headed Wasps, Sand Wasps, and Allies) are Hump-Backed Beewolf (about 10%), Four-Banded Stink Bug Wasp (about 10%) and Eastern Cicada-Killer Wasp (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Smoky-Winged Beetle Bandit Wasp is recorded against all the insects logged in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] (22 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.
