Scolia hirta
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
Scolia hirta is a species of wasp in the subfamily Scoliinae of the family Scoliidae. This species is present in most of mediterranean and central Europe, in the eastern Palearctic realm, in the Near East, and in North Africa.
The adults grow up to 10–25 millimetres (0.39–0.98 in) long, the body is completely black, with two glossy yellow stripes on the abdomen. The wings have a smoky-dark color, with blue reflexes. Antennae of males - composed of 13 segments - are longer than in females (12 segments ). Moreover males have three large spines at the tip of their abdomen.
This species is rather similar to Scolia sexmaculata, which had two or three yellow spots instead of two yellow stripes. They can be encountered from July through September feeding on flowers, with a preference for flowers appearing cyan or blue to wasp's eyes and for composite flowers or aggregated inflorescences.
Among the most visited families there are Caprifoliaceae (Knautia arvensis), Asteraceae (Jacobaea vulgaris, Solidago canadensis, Solidago virgaurea, Centaurea scabiosa, Echinops spp.), Lamiaceae (Thymus serpyllum, Pycnanthemum spp.), Crassulaceae and Liliaceae... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fertő-Hanság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 2 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 3 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 4 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Scolia hirta sighting in Pyrénées National Park on a given day, based on 18 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 506th most-seen of the 1277 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June to September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Scolia hirta in Pyrénées National Park on a given day, against under 5% in October to May, the lowest months.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Scolia hirta 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 4 parks where we can rate Scolia hirta sightings, Pyrénées National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Fertő-Hanság National Park (Hungary, about 10%) and Cévennes National Park (France, about 10%).
Same order: Hymenoptera
The closest relatives of the Scolia hirta that you can see in Pyrénées National Park (order Hymenoptera, Ants, Bees, Wasps, and Sawflies) are Common Carder Bumble Bee (about 20%), Yellow-Legged Hornet (about 10%) and Mossy Rose Gall Wasp (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Scolia hirta is recorded against all the insects logged in Pyrénées National Park (18 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.
