Ferocious Polybia Wasp

Ferocious Polybia Wasp

Polybia rejecta

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Rio de Janeiro

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%

17 Verified sightings at Rio de Janeiro
47 In all 5 parks From 2019 to 2026
March Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Ferocious Polybia Wasp

Polybia rejecta is a species of social wasp found in the Neotropics region of the world. It was first described by Fabricius in South America in the 1790s. The wasp is associated with many other organisms, particularly specific species of ants and birds such as the Azteca ants and the cacique birds. This association is most beneficial to the ants and birds because of the aggressive protective nature of the wasp. The wasps will protect their nest even if it means death against any predator that approaches it and therefore this means that the association also protects the ants and birds. Additionally, the wasp is known for eating the eggs of red-eyed tree frogs as a main way of subsistence. It also, like many other wasp species, has a caste system of queens and workers that is evident by difference in body size among the wasps; the biggest female becomes the queen.

Polybia rejecta is a social wasp in the genus Polybia, which is composed of eusocial wasps in South America, particularly Brazil and Argentina. The eusocial characteristics seen in this wasp species are the presence of cooperative brood care, division of labor between non-reproductive and reproductive... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Serra dos Órgãos National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~20%
2 Tijuca National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
3 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
~10%
4 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
5 Parque Natural Metropolitano 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Recife 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
2 Vitória 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
3 Rio de Janeiro 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
4 San José 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Ferocious Polybia Wasp in Rio de Janeiro?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Ferocious Polybia Wasp sighting in Rio de Janeiro on a given day, based on 17 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 53rd most-seen of the 169 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.

When is the best time to see a Ferocious Polybia Wasp in Rio de Janeiro?

August to May

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Ferocious Polybia Wasp in Rio de Janeiro on a given day, against under 5% in June and July, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Ferocious Polybia Wasp?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Ferocious Polybia 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 Rio de Janeiro the best place to see a Ferocious Polybia Wasp?

Among the best

Of the 4 cities where we can rate Ferocious Polybia Wasp sightings, Rio de Janeiro ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Recife (Brazil, about 10%) and Vitória (Brazil, about 10%).

Where does the Ferocious Polybia Wasp sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Ferocious Polybia Wasp is recorded against all the insects logged in Rio de Janeiro (17 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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