Sceliphron spirifex
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Sceliphron spirifex is a species of sphecid wasp. It has a medium-sized body (17–27 millimetres or 0.7–1.1 inches), which is dull black with a long, yellow petiole (waist). The legs are black with yellow bands, the antennae are black and the wings are clear.
Females build large multi-celled mud nests attached to cliffs, rocks, tree trunks, bridges and buildings. The cells are mass-provisioned with several spiders and sealed with mud. S. spirifex lives in diverse habitats across Africa and Southern Europe, but is strongly associated with buildings and other man-made structures. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Sceliphron spirifex sighting in Pretoria on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 153rd most-seen of the 274 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.
March–May and October–November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Sceliphron spirifex in Pretoria on a given day, against under 5% in June–September and December–February, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Sceliphron spirifex 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 10 cities where we can rate Sceliphron spirifex sightings, Pretoria ranks 6th at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Valencia (Spain, about 10%), Naples (Italy, about 10%) and Tel Aviv (Israel, about 10%).
Same order: Hymenoptera
The closest relatives of the Sceliphron spirifex that you can see in Pretoria (order Hymenoptera, Ants, Bees, Wasps, and Sawflies) are Double-Banded Carpenter Bee (about 20%), Natal Droptail Ant (about 10%) and Ropalidia distigma (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Sceliphron spirifex is recorded against all the insects logged in Pretoria (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.
