Sceliphron spirifex
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Sceliphron spirifex is a species of sphecid wasp. It has a medium-sized body (17–27 millimetres or 0.7–1.1 inches), which is dull black with a long, yellow petiole (waist). The legs are black with yellow bands, the antennae are black and the wings are clear.
Females build large multi-celled mud nests attached to cliffs, rocks, tree trunks, bridges and buildings. The cells are mass-provisioned with several spiders and sealed with mud. S. spirifex lives in diverse habitats across Africa and Southern Europe, but is strongly associated with buildings and other man-made structures. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Sceliphron spirifex sighting in Kruger National Park on a given day, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 358th most-seen of the 748 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May, July and October
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Sceliphron spirifex in Kruger National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June, August–September and November–April, the lowest months. Those are among Kruger National Park's driest months, with about 15 mm of rain a month against 110 mm in February.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Sceliphron spirifex sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Sceliphron spirifex sightings, Kruger National Park ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in iSimangaliso Wetland Park (South Africa, about 10%) and Addo Elephant National Park (South Africa, about 10%).
Same order: Hymenoptera
The closest relatives of the Sceliphron spirifex that you can see in Kruger National Park (order Hymenoptera, Ants, Bees, Wasps, and Sawflies) are Matabele Ant (about 10%), Double-Banded Carpenter Bee (about 10%) and Savanna 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 Sceliphron spirifex is recorded against all the insects logged in Kruger National Park (11 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.
