Malachius bipustulatus
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
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.
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Malachite-Beetle sighting in Birmingham on a given day, based on 30 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 256th most-seen of the 811 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Common Malachite-Beetle in Birmingham on a given day, against under 5% in July to April, 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.
Among the best
Of the 17 cities where we can rate Common Malachite-Beetle sightings, Birmingham ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in London (United Kingdom, about 10%).
Same order: Coleoptera
The closest relatives of the Common Malachite-Beetle that you can see in Birmingham (order Coleoptera, Beetles) are Asian Lady Beetle (about 50%), Seven-Spotted Lady Beetle (about 50%) and Fourteen-Spotted Lady Beetle (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Common Malachite-Beetle is recorded against all the insects logged in Birmingham (30 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.
