Dolichovespula media
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The median wasp (Dolichovespula media) is a species of social wasp of the family Vespidae found throughout Europe and Asia. It builds aerial paper nests often in shrubs or trees, and occasionally under the eaves of buildings. It is most common to see this wasp between May and October during its 3.3 month colony cycle. Behaviours of this wasp include nest defense, curling which is believed to function in brood incubation, and gastral vibration which is involved in larval feeding. The median wasp has a haplodiploid sex determination system that results in a high level of relatedness within the colony. This species is not usually aggressive but will sting if they feel their nest is threatened. Most foraging in the nest is done by the workers once the first ones reach adulthood. These workers forage for insects, nectar, and wood for nest construction in temperatures as low as 7 °C (45 °F). The median wasp is known to be occasionally affected by the fungus Cordyceps sphecocephala and the Cricket paralysis virus.
The median wasp was first classified by Anders Jahan Retzius in 1783. This wasp is part of the subfamily Vespinae which includes all hornets and yellowjackets... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Munich | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 2 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | Helsinki | 🇫🇮 Finland | |
| 4 | Berlin | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 5 | Birmingham | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 6 | Kyiv | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | |
| 7 | Warsaw | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 8 | Vienna | 🇦🇹 Austria | |
| 9 | Moscow | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 10 | Saint Petersburg | 🇷🇺 Russia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Median Wasp sighting in Warsaw on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 501st most-seen of the 580 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.
July
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Median Wasp in Warsaw on a given day, against under 5% in August to June, the lowest months. That is one of Warsaw's wettest months, with about 75 mm of rain against 40 mm in February.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Median Wasp sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
7th of 10
Of the 10 cities where we can rate Median Wasp sightings, Warsaw ranks 7th at under 5%. The best odds are in Munich (Germany, about 10%), London (United Kingdom, about 10%) and Helsinki (Finland, about 10%).
Same family: Vespidae
The closest relatives of the Median Wasp that you can see in Warsaw (family Vespidae, Hornets, Paper Wasps, Potter Wasps, and Allies) are European Hornet (about 20%), Common European Yellowjacket (about 10%) and German Yellowjacket (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Median Wasp is recorded against all the insects logged in Warsaw (6 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.
