Paederus fuscipes
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
Paederus is a genus of small beetles of the family Staphylinidae ("rove beetles"). With 622 valid species assigned by 1987 to the subtribe Paederina (Paederus and its close allies), and with all but 148 within Paederus itself, this is a large genus.
Due to toxins in the hemolymph of some species within this genus, it has given its name to paederus dermatitis, a characteristic skin irritation that occurs if one of the insects is crushed against skin. A scholarly paper in 2002 suggested that a Paederus species could have been responsible for some of the ten Plagues of Egypt described in the Bible's Book of Exodus.
Paederus species are widely distributed around the world. Paederus species are much more brightly colored than most other rove beetles, with metallic blue- or green-colored elytra and many with bright orange or red on the pronotum and the basal segments of the abdomen. These bright colors may be an example of aposematism, a warning signal to potential predators.
Although most adult rove beetles avoid daylight, Paederus species are active during the day and attracted to bright lights after nightfall. Paederus eggs are laid singly, in moist habitats... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Paederus fuscipes sighting in Beijing on a given day, based on 53 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 55th most-seen of the 401 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Paederus fuscipes in Beijing on a given day, against under 5% in December to February, the lowest months. That is one of Beijing's wettest months, with about 65 mm of rain against almost none in January.
Among the best
Of the 9 cities where we can rate Paederus fuscipes sightings, Beijing ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Hangzhou (China, about 10%) and Taichung (Taiwan, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Paederus fuscipes is recorded against all the insects logged in Beijing (53 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.
