Zeta argillaceum
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
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.
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Zeta argillaceum sighting in São Luís on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 39th most-seen of the 93 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
December
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Zeta argillaceum in São Luís on a given day, against under 5% in January–February, June and August, the lowest months. That is one of São Luís's driest months, with about 45 mm of rain against 360 mm in April.
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.
Yes
Of the 14 cities where we can rate Zeta argillaceum sightings, São Luís has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Salvador (Brazil, about 20%) and Recife (Brazil, about 10%).
Same family: Eumenidae
The closest relatives of the Zeta argillaceum that you can see in São Luís (family Eumenidae) are Polybia sericea (about 40%), Yellow-Banded Polybia Wasp (about 30%) and Polybia punctata (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 São Luís (13 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.
