Thisbe's Tarantula-Hawk Wasp

Thisbe's Tarantula-Hawk Wasp

Pepsis thisbe

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Zion National Park

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%

7 Verified sightings at Zion National Park From 2019 to 2026
71 In all 5 parks
October Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Thisbe's Tarantula-Hawk Wasp

Pepsis thisbe, also known as Thisbe's tarantula-hawk wasp, is a species of spider wasp in the family Pompilidae. Females are 32-44 mm long with a dark blue body and orange wings. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Grand Canyon National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Zion National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Phoenix 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
2 Mesa 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
3 Los Angeles 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
4 Mexico City 🇲🇽 México
<5%
5 San Antonio 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
6 San Diego 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Thisbe's Tarantula-Hawk Wasp in Zion National Park?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Thisbe's Tarantula-Hawk Wasp sighting in Zion National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 65th most-seen of the 114 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.

When is the best time to see a Thisbe's Tarantula-Hawk Wasp in Zion National Park?

October

In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Thisbe's Tarantula-Hawk Wasp in Zion National Park on a given day, against under 5% in September and November–May, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Thisbe's Tarantula-Hawk Wasp?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Thisbe's Tarantula-Hawk Wasp sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Zion National Park the best place to see a Thisbe's Tarantula-Hawk Wasp?

Among the best

Of the 5 parks where we can rate Thisbe's Tarantula-Hawk Wasp sightings, Zion National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Grand Canyon National Park (United States, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Thisbe's Tarantula-Hawk Wasp live in Zion National Park?

Same order: Hymenoptera

The closest relatives of the Thisbe's Tarantula-Hawk Wasp that you can see in Zion National Park (order Hymenoptera, Ants, Bees, Wasps, and Sawflies) are Dasymutilla vestita (about 20%), Hunt's Bumble Bee (about 10%) and Western Carpenter Bee (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Thisbe's Tarantula-Hawk Wasp sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Thisbe's Tarantula-Hawk Wasp is recorded against all the insects logged in Zion National Park (7 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.

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