Polistes canadensis
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
Polistes canadensis is a species of red paper wasp found in the Neotropical realm. It is a primitively eusocial wasp as a member of the subfamily Polistinae. A largely predatory species, it hunts for caterpillar meat to supply its colony, often supplementing its developing larvae with nectar. The most widely distributed American species of the genus Polistes, it colonizes multiple combs, which it rears year-round.
Emerging from hibernation in the spring, the females found nests built from plant material such as dry grass and dead wood. These nests are not covered with an envelope and feature hexagonal cells in which eggs are laid and larvae develop. The Polistes canadensis colony divides its colony among several combs and does not reuse these combs as a defense mechanism against parasites such as the tineid moth. On average, a single female queen with 9.1 foundresses usually initiates the construction of new combs and cells to form nests. The more foundresses in a colony, the more combs produced. On average, combs grow for 15.4 days and achieve a size of 30.8 cells. One female queen exercises absolute dominance over all other females, often using lateral abdominal vibrations and stroking to suppress the aggressive behavior of her nestmates.
While the queen handles all the nest reproduction, the subordinates work to care for, defend, and feed the nest instead. The divisions of labor within the nest correlate with the ages of Polistes canadensis. Aside from the female division of labor, male Polistes canadensis engage in two alternative mating tactics: the role of the territorial male (who chases away intruding patrollers) and the role of the patroller (who flies from tree to tree and does not chase other males). The study of the dominance relations within the Polistes canadensis has provided insight into the social organization that characterizes many social invertebrates. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Iguazú National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 3 | Iguaçu National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Neotropical Red Paper Wasp sighting in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park on a given day, based on 57 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 46th most-seen of the 431 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.
February and June
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Neotropical Red Paper Wasp in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January, the lowest month.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Neotropical Red Paper Wasp sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Neotropical Red Paper Wasp sightings, Cumbres de Monterrey National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Iguazú National Park (Argentina, about 10%) and Iguaçu National Park (Brazil, about 10%).
Same genus: Polistes
The closest relatives of the Neotropical Red Paper Wasp that you can see in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park (genus Polistes, Umbrella Paper Wasps) are Unstable Paper Wasp (about 10%), Horse Paper Wasp (about 10%) and Veracruz Paper Wasp (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Neotropical Red Paper Wasp is recorded against all the insects logged in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park (57 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
