Mischocyttarus flavitarsis
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
Mischocyttarus flavitarsis is a social paper wasp found in western North America. Their nests can be found both in forests close to rivers or in close proximity to human life under the eaves of roofs. Despite the fact that M. flavitarsis nests are frequently in close contact with humans, M. flavitarsis typically will not sting, but rather ram into the threatening individual. Their colony cycle typically begins before May and will last until October. The queen will then seek a hibernation site for the winter. Perched near female hibernation sites are males with whom the female will mate. The males have claimed their territory by rubbing sternal brushes along the border of the site, leaving a chemical that deters other individuals from approaching. M. flavitarsis feed on arthropods, nectar, and animal carcasses and are often prey to birds, ants, and praying mantis.
Henri Louis Frédéric de Saussure, a Swiss mineralogist and entomologist, classified M. flavitarsis in 1854. The genus Mischocyttarus is the only genus in the tribe Mischocyttarini and is the second largest genus of social wasps. Mischocyttarus species are recognizable by the internal and external... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zion National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denver | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Salt Lake City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Portland | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Sacramento | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Vancouver | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Western Paper Wasp sighting in Yosemite National Park on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 124th most-seen of the 227 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.
December
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Western Paper Wasp in Yosemite National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January, April, August–September and November, the lowest months. That is one of Yosemite National Park's wettest months, with about 180 mm of rain against 25 mm in September.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Western 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 Western Paper Wasp sightings, Yosemite National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Zion National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Vespidae
The closest relatives of the Western Paper Wasp that you can see in Yosemite National Park (family Vespidae, Hornets, Paper Wasps, Potter Wasps, and Allies) are Western Yellowjacket (about 10%), Common Aerial Yellowjacket (about 10%) and Bald-Faced Hornet (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Western Paper Wasp is recorded against all the insects logged in Yosemite National Park (10 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.
