Vespa bicolor
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Vespa bicolor, the black shield wasp, described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1787, is a species of hornet which has been found to be the pollinator of an orchid, Dendrobium sinense (syn. Dendrobium christyanum), found only on the Chinese island of Hainan. Vespa bicolor also preys on honey bees, which it feeds to its larvae. The orchid produces a chemical that mimics a honey bee pheromone and attracts this predatory wasp.
Vespa bicolor is the most common species of large wasp in Hong Kong, along with members of the genus Parapolybia. It is found in a wide range of environments and can be found near human dwellings. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zhuhai [Macau] | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 2 | Tuen Mun | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 3 | Hong Kong | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 4 | Guangzhou | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 5 | Taipei | 🇹🇼 Taiwan |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black Shield Hornet sighting in Taipei on a given day, based on 22 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 356th most-seen of the 765 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.
August, October and December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Black Shield Hornet in Taipei on a given day, against under 5% in January–July, September and November, the lowest months.
5th of 5
Of the 5 cities where we can rate Black Shield Hornet sightings, Taipei ranks 5th at under 5%. The best odds are in Zhuhai [Macau] (China, about 30%), Tuen Mun (China, about 20%) and Hong Kong (China, about 10%).
Same genus: Vespa
The closest relatives of the Black Shield Hornet that you can see in Taipei (genus Vespa, Hornets) are Black-Bellied Hornet (about 10%), Yellow-Legged Hornet (about 10%) and Black-Tailed Hornet (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black Shield Hornet is recorded against all the insects logged in Taipei (22 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.
