Triatoma gerstaeckeri
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Triatoma gerstaeckeri is an assassin bug in the genus Triatoma (kissing bugs). It is an important vector of Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease. The range of T. gerstaeckeri is from the south-western United States (New Mexico, Texas) to north-eastern Mexico. T. gerstaeckeri goes through three stages during its paurometabolous life cycle: egg, nymphal instars and adult.
T. gerstaeckeri is between 20 and 30 mm long when fully developed. It is all black except for their yellow horizontal lines outside of the pronotum. The tip of its mouthparts have hairs, but the rest of the mouthparts do not. T. gerstaeckeri have long, narrow legs and a flat head. The first segment of its antennae is shorter than the clypeus on the insect's head. T. gerstaeckeri have tubercles on its sides, and it has a round posterior that is very wrinkly. It has black forewings that cover the abdomen; the base of these forewings are yellowish orange.
T. gerstaeckeri is mostly found in the dry climates of northern Mexico, southern/central Texas and New Mexico where there is a lot of scrubby vegetation. Other Triatoma species are found throughout the... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monterrey | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 2 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Triatoma gerstaeckeri sighting in Austin on a given day, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 1106th most-seen of the 1624 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.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Triatoma gerstaeckeri in Austin on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 11 pm and 2 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Triatoma gerstaeckeri sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
Among the best
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Triatoma gerstaeckeri sightings, Austin ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Monterrey (México, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Triatoma gerstaeckeri is recorded against all the insects logged in Austin (11 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.
