Polistes kaibabensis
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
The Kaibab paper wasp (Polistes kaibabensis) is a species of wasp in the family Vespidae, it is a medium-sized wasp typically measuring 13-25 mm (1.3-2.5 cm) in length. It is endemic and restricted to North Central Arizona, specifically the Kaibab Plateau near the Grand Canyon at high-elevation meadows and open forests in the Colorado Plateau region. Yellow to brown colouration and slender body, it is predatory on caterpillars for their larvae while adults feed on nectar and sugary secretions. Nests are made of paper being exposed combs suspended from vegetation. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grand Canyon National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Kaibab Paper Wasp sighting in Grand Canyon National Park on a given day, based on 75 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 5th most-seen of the 143 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August and September
In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Kaibab Paper Wasp in Grand Canyon National Park on a given day, against under 5% in December to February, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Kaibab 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.
Only Grand Canyon National Park, in our data
Grand Canyon National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Kaibab Paper Wasp sightings: about 20% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same order: Hymenoptera
The closest relatives of the Kaibab Paper Wasp that you can see in Grand Canyon National Park (order Hymenoptera, Ants, Bees, Wasps, and Sawflies) are Western Carpenter Bee (about 30%), Morrison's Bumble Bee (about 20%) and Hunt's Bumble Bee (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Kaibab Paper Wasp is recorded against all the insects logged in Grand Canyon National Park (75 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.
