Xenos vesparum
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Xenos vesparum is a parasitic insect species of the order Strepsiptera that are endoparasites of paper wasps in the genus Polistes (most commonly Polistes dominula) that was first described in 1793. Like other members of this family, X. vesparum displays a peculiar lifestyle, and demonstrates extensive sexual dimorphism.
Males and female of this species show remarkable sexual dimorphism according to their mating system. Both develop inside the abdomen, where males pupate and emerge, while females permanently reside inside. Adult males are free-living, flying insects, whose extremely short (<5 hours) adult lives are solely dedicated to finding a mate, which they are thought to locate by scent. After locating a mate (who is protruding from the host wasp's abdomen), the male lands on the wasp's abdomen, holding on with its legs and wings, while avoiding the brushing of the wasp's hindlegs, which could potentially dislodge it. The male then inseminates the female by either spreading sperm around the female's genital opening, where it eventually reaches the haemocoel (body cavity), or by directly penetrating the female's cuticle (hypodermic insemination), injecting... Wikipedia →
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No species of the same family or order lives in Munich, so these are its closest relatives here: other insects.
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Xenos vesparum sighting in Munich on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 295th most-seen of the 521 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
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Xenos vesparum in Munich on a given day, against under 5% in August to June, the lowest months. That is one of Munich's wettest months, with about 140 mm of rain against 60 mm in February.
Among the best
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Xenos vesparum sightings, Munich ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Warsaw (Poland, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Xenos vesparum is recorded against all the insects logged in Munich (10 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.
