Zeta argillaceum
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
Zeta argillaceum is one of the most common species of potter wasp in South America. It is found throughout the continent and as far north as Mexico and the southern United States (where it is thought to have been accidentally introduced).
This wasp adapts easily to habitat change and the nests are a common sight, often in small groups, attached to the walls of buildings in urban areas. The nest cell is roughly spherical, up to 18 mm in diameter, with a single small entrance hole. A single egg is laid in each cell: the adult wasp stocks the cell with paralyzed living food (usually geometrid moth larvae) for the emerging wasp larva to feed on. The nest is only used once by Z. argillaceum but is often reused by other potter wasps such as Pachodynerus spp.
Zeta argillaceum is often affected by parasitoids such as the eulophid Melittobia australica. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emas National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
More parks will be added in future updates.
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Zeta argillaceum sighting in Recife on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 39th most-seen of the 67 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Zeta argillaceum in Recife on a given day, against under 5% in July, September and November–March, the lowest months. That is one of Recife's wettest months, with about 260 mm of rain against 25 mm in November.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Zeta argillaceum sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 14
Of the 14 cities where we can rate Zeta argillaceum sightings, Recife ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in São Luís (Brazil, about 20%) and Salvador (Brazil, about 20%).
Same family: Eumenidae
The closest relatives of the Zeta argillaceum that you can see in Recife (family Eumenidae) are Variegated Paper Wasp (about 10%), Neotropical Red Paper Wasp (about 10%) and Polybia ignobilis (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Zeta argillaceum is recorded against all the insects logged in Recife (7 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.
