Blue-Winged Scoliid Wasp

Blue-Winged Scoliid Wasp

Scolia dubia

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Philadelphia

In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%

300 Verified sightings at Philadelphia
104 In all 2 parks From 2019 to 2026
August Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Blue-Winged Scoliid Wasp

Scolia dubia, also known as the two-spotted scoliid wasp or a blue-winged scoliid wasp, is a species in the family Scoliidae. S. dubia is a 2.0–2.5-centimeter (0.8–1.0 in) long wasp. The body is black from the head through the first or second segment of the abdomen. The second third abdominal segment and beyond are red. The nominate subspecies possesses has the second abdominal segment black and two yellow spots on the third tergite, which are lacking in the subspecies S. dubia haematodes. The wings are violaceous or with blueish reflections.

Males are colored as the female of their respective subspecies but have longer antennae and seven rather than six metasomal segments. The subspecies S. dubia haematodes is colored much like Triscolia ardens but can be recognized by the forewing only possessing two submarginal cells rather than three in T. ardens.

This species ranges from New England to Florida and west to California in the United States. The southern extent of its range extends to Coahuila, Mexico. Females burrow into ground in search of grubs, particularly those of the green June beetle, Cotinis nitida, and... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Philadelphia 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
2 New York City 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Baltimore 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Washington 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Chicago 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
6 Austin 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
7 San Antonio 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
8 Houston 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
9 Boston 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
10 Orlando 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Blue-Winged Scoliid Wasp in Philadelphia?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Blue-Winged Scoliid Wasp sighting in Philadelphia on a given day, based on 300 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 16th most-seen of the 632 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Blue-Winged Scoliid Wasp in Philadelphia?

August

In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Blue-Winged Scoliid Wasp in Philadelphia on a given day, against under 5% in October to June, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Blue-Winged Scoliid Wasp?

Between 1 and 4 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Blue-Winged Scoliid 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.

Is Philadelphia the best place to see a Blue-Winged Scoliid Wasp?

Yes

Of the 10 cities where we can rate Blue-Winged Scoliid Wasp sightings, Philadelphia has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come New York City (United States, about 10%) and Baltimore (United States, about 10%).

Where does the Blue-Winged Scoliid Wasp sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Blue-Winged Scoliid Wasp is recorded against all the insects logged in Philadelphia (300 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.

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