Polistes canadensis
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
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 Iguazú National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 248th most-seen of the 306 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.
May and November–February
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Neotropical Red Paper Wasp in Iguazú National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March–April and June–October, the lowest months.
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.
Among the best
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Neotropical Red Paper Wasp sightings, Iguazú National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park (Mexico, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Neotropical Red Paper Wasp is recorded against all the insects logged in Iguazú National Park (7 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.
