Dark-Waisted Paper Wasp

Dark-Waisted Paper Wasp

Polistes jokahamae

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Xiamen City

In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%

7 Verified sightings at Xiamen City
August 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 Xiamen City?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Dark-Waisted Paper Wasp sighting in Xiamen City on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 35th most-seen of the 59 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.

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

August

In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Dark-Waisted Paper Wasp in Xiamen City on a given day, against under 5% in September to March, the lowest months. That is one of Xiamen City's wettest months, with about 190 mm of rain against 40 mm in October.

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

3rd of 8

Of the 8 cities where we can rate Dark-Waisted Paper Wasp sightings, Xiamen City ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Nagoya (Japan, about 30%) and Osaka (Japan, about 20%).

Which relatives of the Dark-Waisted Paper Wasp live in Xiamen City?

Same order: Hymenoptera

The closest relatives of the Dark-Waisted Paper Wasp that you can see in Xiamen City (order Hymenoptera, Ants, Bees, Wasps, and Sawflies) are Asian Honey Bee (about 20%), Yellow-Legged Hornet (about 20%) and Green-Winged Bamboo-Carpenter (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

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 Xiamen City (7 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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