Polistes dorsalis
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
Polistes dorsalis is a species of social wasps that can be found throughout various parts of North America. It is classified under the Vespidae within the genus of Polistes. Male Polistes dorsalis wasps can be distinguished from other Polistes species by their distinctly prominent median tubercle of sternum 7. Both sexes can also be recognized due to their v- shaped yellow markings on their head. They are distributed widely across North America and can be found in sheltered nests, typically closer to the ground. These wasps live in a dominance hierarchy in which the queen's role differs from that of ordinary workers. When threatened, these wasps can deliver moderately painful stings. Their venom might also be of human interest for their antimicrobial uses.
A member of the Vespidae family, Polistes dorsalis is classified within Polistinae, one of the largest subfamilies consisting of a diverse group of social wasps. Under this subfamily, there are two behavioral groups that differ in their methods of colony formation and the presence of reproductive dominance. The first of these groups form colonies through swarming, as multiple foundresses initiate a nest... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Guatemala City | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | |
| 3 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Orlando | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Monterrey | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 9 | Sacramento | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Hunter's Little Paper Wasp sighting in Saguaro National Park on a given day, based on 17 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 144th most-seen of the 354 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.
May–July, September–October and December–January
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Hunter's Little Paper Wasp in Saguaro National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February–April, August and November, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Hunter's Little 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 7 parks where we can rate Hunter's Little Paper Wasp sightings, Saguaro National Park ranks 5th at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Big Cypress National Preserve (United States, about 10%), Everglades National Park (United States, about 10%) and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (United States, about 10%).
Same genus: Polistes
The closest relatives of the Hunter's Little Paper Wasp that you can see in Saguaro National Park (genus Polistes, Umbrella Paper Wasps) are Arizona Paper Wasp (about 20%), Yellow Paper Wasp (about 10%) and Comanche Paper Wasp (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Hunter's Little Paper Wasp is recorded against all the insects logged in Saguaro National Park (17 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.
