Eumenes fraternus
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Eumenes fraternus is a species of potter wasp in the subfamily Eumeninae of the family Vespidae. It is native to the eastern United States and Canada. The female builds a miniature pot out of mud in which it lays an egg and places a live caterpillar. Its developing larva feeds on this whereas the adult wasp feeds primarily on nectar.
Wasps in the genus Eumenes can be recognised by the fact that the first abdominal segment is long and slender, very thin at the front and widening towards the back. Eumenes fraternus is about 15 to 20 mm (0.6 to 0.8 in) long and is similar in appearance to other members of the genus. Its colouring is black with a scattering of ivory-coloured markings. The forewings are 8 to 10.5 mm (0.3 to 0.4 in) long in the male and 10 to 12.5 mm (0.4 to 0.5 in) in the female. It has shorter pubescence on the first segment of the antenna than do the otherwise similar E. crucifera and E. verticalis.
Eumenes fraternus is found in the eastern United States and Canada. Its range extends west as far as Ontario, Minnesota, Kansas and Texas. It is on the wing from about April to November in North Carolina and is found in glades... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Detroit | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 8 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 9 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Fraternal Potter Wasp sighting in Washington on a given day, based on 259 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 122nd most-seen of the 1807 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Fraternal Potter Wasp in Washington on a given day, against under 5% in November to June, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Fraternal Potter Wasp sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 15 cities where we can rate Fraternal Potter Wasp sightings, Washington ranks 5th at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] (United States, about 10%), Boston (United States, about 10%) and Baltimore (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Vespidae
The closest relatives of the Fraternal Potter Wasp that you can see in Washington (family Vespidae, Hornets, Paper Wasps, Potter Wasps, and Allies) are Eastern Yellowjacket (about 20%), Bald-Faced Hornet (about 10%) and European Hornet (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Fraternal Potter Wasp is recorded against all the insects logged in Washington (259 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.
