Nicrophorus vespilloides
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Nicrophorus vespilloides is a burying beetle described by Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Herbst in 1783. The beetles vary widely in size and can present with a range of anywhere from 12 mm to 20 mm in size. They have two conspicuous orange-yellow bands on the elytra. The color of the antennae are an important distinguishing feature, being totally black. The color of their orange and black markings is multifunctional, as they are conspicuous to avian predators. In general, they present a unique ecological niche, which is their evolution of aposematism, or the strategy they use to warn predators through their conspicuous signals. The wing cases of these beetles possess a squarish shape and are notably shorter in length than their abdomens, indicating a distinct physical characteristic of the species.
Overall, there are reported differences in coloration and chemical defenses among the sexes. This is hypothesized to stem from conflicting selection pressures for the different sexes. They also produce anal fluid or exudate from their abdomen when they feel threatened. These anal fluids further contribute to the antimicrobial defense of these beetles.
These insect species boast... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Białowieża National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 2 | Cairngorms National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 4 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 5 | Triglav National Park | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | |
| 6 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 7 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Munich | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 3 | Helsinki | 🇫🇮 Finland | |
| 4 | Copenhagen | 🇩🇰 Denmark | |
| 5 | Hamburg | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 6 | Kyiv | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | |
| 7 | Moscow | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 8 | Saint Petersburg | 🇷🇺 Russia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Vespillo Burying Beetle sighting in Bavarian Forest National Park on a given day, based on 27 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 163rd most-seen of the 1115 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Vespillo Burying Beetle in Bavarian Forest National Park on a given day, against under 5% in November to March, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Lesser Vespillo Burying Beetle sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 7
Of the 7 parks where we can rate Lesser Vespillo Burying Beetle sightings, Bavarian Forest National Park ranks 4th at about 10%. The best odds are in Białowieża National Park (Poland, about 20%), Cairngorms National Park (United Kingdom, about 20%) and Snowdonia National Park (United Kingdom, about 10%).
Same genus: Nicrophorus
The closest relatives of the Lesser Vespillo Burying Beetle that you can see in Bavarian Forest National Park (genus Nicrophorus, Burying Beetles) are Vespillo Burying Beetle (about 10%) and Black Burying Beetle (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Lesser Vespillo Burying Beetle is recorded against all the insects logged in Bavarian Forest National Park (27 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.
