Dark-Waisted Paper Wasp

Dark-Waisted Paper Wasp

Polistes jokahamae

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Tokyo

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%

212 Verified sightings at Tokyo
November Best month

About the Dark-Waisted Paper Wasp

The dark-waisted paper wasp, (Polistes jokahamae) is a species of primitively eusocial paper wasp from Southeast Asia. The dark-waisted paper wasp is found in Japan (excepting the island of Hokkaido), China, India, and Vietnam.

Queens emerge from diapause in late March. New nests are founded from mid-April to early May. Nests most often have a single founding queen; multiple foundresses are found in less than 1% of P. jokahamae colonies. Like other Polistes wasps, the dark-waisted paper wasp constructs nests of chewed plant fibers mixed with proteinaceous oral secretions.

Nests consist of multiple cells in which the queen lays her eggs. The cells are then capped with a silky material produced by the queen and the larvae develop inside. The first brood are fed and cared for by the queen. Two larvae are raised in each cell in the first brood (presumably to conserve resources) and the workers emerge smaller than those from later broods.

The first worker emerge in the summer, followed by a second brood which includes gynes (potential future queens) and a third brood which includes males. Rarely, males may be produced earlier in the colonies' lifecycle... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability

More parks will be added in future updates.

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Nagoya 🇯🇵 Japan
~30%
2 Osaka 🇯🇵 Japan
~20%
3 Xiamen City 🇨🇳 China
~10%
4 Tokyo 🇯🇵 Japan
~10%
5 Taipei 🇹🇼 Taiwan
~10%
6 Nanjing 🇨🇳 China
~10%
7 Beijing 🇨🇳 China
~10%
8 Tuen Mun 🇨🇳 China
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Dark-Waisted Paper Wasp in Tokyo?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Dark-Waisted Paper Wasp sighting in Tokyo on a given day, based on 212 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 82nd most-seen of the 1013 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Dark-Waisted Paper Wasp in Tokyo?

April to December

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Dark-Waisted Paper Wasp in Tokyo on a given day, against under 5% in January to March, the lowest months.

Is Tokyo the best place to see a Dark-Waisted Paper Wasp?

4th of 8

Of the 8 cities where we can rate Dark-Waisted Paper Wasp sightings, Tokyo ranks 4th at about 10%. The best odds are in Nagoya (Japan, about 30%), Osaka (Japan, about 20%) and Xiamen City (China, about 10%).

Where does the Dark-Waisted Paper Wasp sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Dark-Waisted Paper Wasp is recorded against all the insects logged in Tokyo (212 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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