Toltec Scoliid Wasp

Toltec Scoliid Wasp

Dielis tolteca

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at San Diego

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

80 Verified sightings at San Diego
29 In all 2 parks From 2019 to 2026
June Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Toltec Scoliid Wasp

Dielis tolteca, the Toltec scoliid wasp, is a species of hymenopteran in the family Scoliidae. It is commonly found on plants in the genus Solidago. Female D. tolteca have extensive orange on at least three tergites of the gaster. The first segment is variable from a complete band to no band at all, and every possible degree in between. The only other orange-marked ally, D. dorsata, has the orange restricted to the second and third tergites of the gaster.

Male D. tolteca have four pale yellow bands on both the tergites and sternites of the gaster and a yellow band on the pronotum. As with the females, the most similar species is D. dorsata, which has sparser setae on the external valve of the penis and lacks banding on the sternites. The males further share the paler markings with D. plumipes, a species that is sympatric in Texas and which has the clypeus and pronotum entirely black. Another ally, D. pilipes, has a fifth band on the abdomen (only shared with D. tejensis) and is structurally distinct from all other members of the genus by the microstructuring on the frons, propodeum, mesonotum, and hind tibiae.

D. tolteca is mainly... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
2 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Los Angeles 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 San Diego 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Toltec Scoliid Wasp in San Diego?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Toltec Scoliid Wasp sighting in San Diego on a given day, based on 80 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 138th most-seen of the 693 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Toltec Scoliid Wasp in San Diego?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Toltec Scoliid Wasp in San Diego on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Toltec Scoliid Wasp?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Toltec Scoliid Wasp sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is San Diego the best place to see a Toltec Scoliid Wasp?

2nd of 2

Of the 2 cities where we can rate Toltec Scoliid Wasp sightings, San Diego ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Los Angeles (United States, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Toltec Scoliid Wasp live in San Diego?

Same order: Hymenoptera

The closest relatives of the Toltec Scoliid Wasp that you can see in San Diego (order Hymenoptera, Ants, Bees, Wasps, and Sawflies) are Yellow-Faced Bumble Bee (about 20%), Tripartite Sweat Bee (about 10%) and Sonoran Bumble Bee (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Toltec Scoliid Wasp sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Toltec Scoliid Wasp is recorded against all the insects logged in San Diego (80 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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