European Tortoise Bug

European Tortoise Bug

Eurygaster maura

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

In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%

56 Verified sightings at Cévennes National Park From 2019 to 2026
73 In all 2 parks
May Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the European Tortoise Bug

Eurygaster maura, also known as tortoise bug, is a species of true bugs or shield-backed bugs belonging to the family Scutelleridae. This species is widespread in Europe, but also in large parts of Asia and North America.

Their habitats are calcareous grasslands with wild grasses. Eurygaster maura can reach a length of 8–11 millimetres (0.31–0.43 in). The body is oval and slightly convex and the head is triangular and smoothly rounded, with a small pair of compound eyes. The pronotum has slightly protruding hind corners. The scutellum covers the wings and the whole abdomen. The ground color is mostly brown, but can be light gray or also black.

This species is rather similar to Eurygaster testudinaria, but it is slightly smaller and smoothly rounded, with less protruding hind corner. Eurygaster maura is a univoltine species. These shield-backed bugs can be found from May to August, becoming adult from July. The females lay their eggs in the spring in small packages on the underside of the leaves surface. After a few weeks the eggs hatch the young nymphs. After five molts, they are fully developed and ready to overwinter... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%
2 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Budapest 🇭🇺 Hungary
~10%
2 Vienna 🇦🇹 Austria
~10%
3 Rome 🇮🇹 Italy
<5%
4 Warsaw 🇵🇱 Poland
<5%
5 Berlin 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%
6 Prague 🇨🇿 Czechia
<5%
7 Kyiv 🇺🇦 Ukraine
<5%
8 Paris 🇫🇷 France
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a European Tortoise Bug in Cévennes National Park?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a European Tortoise Bug sighting in Cévennes National Park on a given day, based on 56 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 140th most-seen of the 996 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a European Tortoise Bug in Cévennes National Park?

May and June

In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a European Tortoise Bug in Cévennes National Park on a given day, against under 5% in September to February, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a European Tortoise Bug?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most European Tortoise Bug sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Cévennes National Park the best place to see a European Tortoise Bug?

Yes

Of the 2 parks where we can rate European Tortoise Bug sightings, Cévennes National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Pyrénées National Park (France, about 10%).

Where does the European Tortoise Bug sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the European Tortoise Bug is recorded against all the insects logged in Cévennes National Park (56 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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