Metcalfa pruinosa
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Metcalfa pruinosa, the citrus flatid planthopper, is a species of insect in the Flatidae family of planthoppers first described by Thomas Say in 1830. Metcalfa pruinosa cubana (Metcalf & Bruner, 1948) The species is native to North America (Nearctic realm), but it is today found throughout Europe (Austria, Britain, France, Spain, Italy, Hungary, Romania, Slovenia, Poland, Switzerland, and Moldova), in the Neotropical realm and in South Korea.
Adults of Metcalfa pruinosa can reach a length of 5.5–8 millimetres (7⁄32–5⁄16 in) and a width of 2–3 millimetres (5⁄64–1⁄8 in) at the widest point. They are initially whitish. The color of adults may vary from brown to gray, in connection with the presence of a bluish white epicuticular wax, covering especially the nymphs. The large and prominent compound eyes are yellow. The mouthparts are adapted for piercing and sucking. The trapezoidal forewings are held vertically, wrapping the body when the insect is at rest. The front wings have veined costal cell and several characteristic whitish spots. The hind tibiae usually have two lateral spines in addition to the other spines at the apex.
Nymphs... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fertő-Hanság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 2 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 6 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Citrus Flatid Planthopper sighting in Big Cypress National Preserve on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 193rd most-seen of the 262 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.
June
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Citrus Flatid Planthopper in Big Cypress National Preserve on a given day, against under 5% in July to March, the lowest months. That is one of Big Cypress National Preserve's wettest months, with about 260 mm of rain against 40 mm in March.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Citrus Flatid Planthopper sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 6 parks where we can rate Citrus Flatid Planthopper sightings, Big Cypress National Preserve ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Fertő-Hanság National Park (Hungary, about 10%).
Same family: Flatidae
The closest relatives of the Citrus Flatid Planthopper that you can see in Big Cypress National Preserve (family Flatidae, Flatid Planthoppers) are Palm Flatid Planthopper (about 10%) and Flatoidinus punctatus (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Citrus Flatid Planthopper is recorded against all the insects logged in Big Cypress National Preserve (8 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.
