Trichodes apiarius
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Trichodes apiarius is a beetle species of checkered beetles belonging to the family Cleridae, subfamily Clerinae. It is found in most of Europe, in the eastern Palearctic realm, and in North Africa. The adult is a hairy, small beetle with shining blue or black head and scutellum. The elongated elytra (wing cases) are bright red with black bands. This species can easily be distinguished from Trichodes alvearius for the black terminal band reaching the apex of the elytra. Adults grow up to 9–16 millimetres (0.35–0.63 in) and can be encountered from May through June on the flowers, mainly Apiaceae, feeding on the pollen. They also actively hunt small insects.
The larvae are parasites of bees (hence the name “apiarius”), as the adults lay the eggs in the nests of solitary bees (Osmia and Megachile species) or in hives of honey bees, eating larvae and nymphs. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Triglav National Park | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | |
| 2 | Aigüestortes National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 3 | Kiskunság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 4 | Vanoise National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 5 | Tatra National Park | 🇸🇰 Slovakia | |
| 6 | Biebrza National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 7 | Mercantour National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 8 | Białowieża National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 9 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 10 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 11 | Hohe Tauern National Park | 🇦🇹 Austria | |
| 12 | Ecrins National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 13 | Fertő-Hanság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 14 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Bee-Eating Beetle sighting in Białowieża National Park on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 71st most-seen of the 158 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June and July
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Bee-Eating Beetle in Białowieża National Park on a given day, against under 5% in August to May, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Bee-Eating Beetle sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
8th of 14
Of the 14 parks where we can rate Bee-Eating Beetle sightings, Białowieża National Park ranks 8th at about 10%. The best odds are in Triglav National Park (Slovenia, about 30%), Aigüestortes National Park (Spain, about 20%) and Kiskunság National Park (Hungary, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Bee-Eating Beetle is recorded against all the insects logged in Białowieża National Park (9 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.
