Zeta argillaceum
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
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.
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Zeta argillaceum sighting in Rio de Janeiro on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 97th most-seen of the 169 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January to April
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Zeta argillaceum in Rio de Janeiro on a given day, against under 5% in May to December, the lowest months.
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.
11th of 14
Of the 14 cities where we can rate Zeta argillaceum sightings, Rio de Janeiro ranks 11th at under 5%. The best odds are in São Luís (Brazil, about 20%), Salvador (Brazil, about 20%) and Recife (Brazil, about 10%).
Same family: Eumenidae
The closest relatives of the Zeta argillaceum that you can see in Rio de Janeiro (family Eumenidae) are Ferocious Polybia Wasp (about 10%), Polybia ignobilis (about 10%) and Variegated Paper Wasp (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 Rio de Janeiro (8 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.
