Ropalidia distigma
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Ropalidia distigma is a species of paper wasp in the family Vespidae. It is found in southern and southeastern Africa. These wasps construct vertically orientated paper nests with horizontally orientated cells. Wasps of the Polistes genus, on the other hand, construct nests oriented horizontally with the vertically oriented cells.
The wasp larvae are fed soft-bodied insects such as caterpillars. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johannesburg | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Pretoria | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Durban | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Ropalidia distigma sighting in iSimangaliso Wetland Park on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 147th most-seen of the 316 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.
March
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Ropalidia distigma in iSimangaliso Wetland Park on a given day, against under 5% in June–July and September–January, the lowest months. That is one of iSimangaliso Wetland Park's wettest months, with about 100 mm of rain against 30 mm in July.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Ropalidia distigma 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 4 parks where we can rate Ropalidia distigma sightings, iSimangaliso Wetland Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Garden Route National Park (South Africa, about 10%) and Kruger National Park (South Africa, about 10%).
Same order: Hymenoptera
The closest relatives of the Ropalidia distigma that you can see in iSimangaliso Wetland Park (order Hymenoptera, Ants, Bees, Wasps, and Sawflies) are African Weaver Ant (about 30%), Savanna Spiny Sugar Ant (about 20%) and Silver Spiny Sugar Ant (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Ropalidia distigma is recorded against all the insects logged in iSimangaliso Wetland Park (12 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.
