Oncacontias vittatus
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Oncacontias vittatus, also known as forest shield bug, is a species of shield bug only found in New Zealand. The adult is rather distinctive and conspicuous in colouration and is commonly encountered. It is herbivorous, with the adults being recorded feeding on Coriaria arborea and likely other plant species. However, the juveniles appear to have a more restricted diet, preferring to feed on grasses. O. vittatus was first described in taxonomic literature in 1781 by Danish zoologist Johan Christian Fabricius. It is widespread throughout New Zealand and is found in a wide range of habitats, but is commonly associated with forest. The adult is most common during spring months, but occurs year-round. Mating occurs in October and November, with the species apparently only producing one brood per year. The eggs of O. vittatus are known to be parasitised by Trissolcus maori, a species of parasitic wasp.
Oncacontias vittatus was first described in taxonomic literature in 1781 by Danish zoologist Johan Christian Fabricius as Cimex vittatus. In 1851, C. vittatus was moved to the Acanthosoma genus and was renamed as Acanthosoma vittatum. Later in 1878, A. vittatum was moved to... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arthur's Pass National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 2 | Abel Tasman National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 3 | Egmont National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 4 | Rakiura National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 5 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auckland | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Forest Shield Bug sighting in Auckland on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 495th most-seen of the 689 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October and November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Forest Shield Bug in Auckland on a given day, against under 5% in December to September, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Forest Shield Bug sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Only Auckland, in our data
Auckland is the only city on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Forest Shield Bug sightings: under 5% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Forest Shield Bug is recorded against all the insects logged in Auckland (8 verified sightings), 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.
