Malachius bipustulatus
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Malachius bipustulatus, the malachite beetle, is a species of soft-winged flower beetles belonging to the family Melyridae, subfamily Malachiinae. The body is 5–7 millimetres (0.20–0.28 in) long, the head and pronotum are brownish, while elytrae are shining metallic green with a bright red spot at the end. Along the sides of the abdomen this species has a peculiar structure with orange pouches.
These beetles mainly inhabit meadows at low altitudes. During the day they stay on herbs and flowers, including flowers of garden plants, mainly on Apiaceae, Asteraceae and Rosaceae species, where they feed on pollen, nectar and small insects.
In case of necessity, this beetle can release a smell that deters predators. The males attract females producing special secretions from its antennae. Malachius bipustulatus is an insect with a complete metamorphism, (or holometabolism), with four life stages (egg, larva, pupa and imago or adult). The pupal stage is a period of rest, when inner and outer bodies change.
The larvae and the adults largely differ in physique and lifestyle. The larvae usually live under bark, in old wood or on the ground in grass roots, hunting small insects, larvae and slugs. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Common Malachite-Beetle sighting in Berlin on a given day, based on 16 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 473rd most-seen of the 1065 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April to June
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Malachite-Beetle in Berlin on a given day, against under 5% in July to March, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Malachite-Beetle sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
14th of 17
Of the 17 cities where we can rate Common Malachite-Beetle sightings, Berlin ranks 14th at under 5%. The best odds are in London (United Kingdom, about 10%), Birmingham (United Kingdom, about 10%) and Cologne (Germany, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Common Malachite-Beetle is recorded against all the insects logged in Berlin (16 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.
