Brumus quadripustulatus
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
Exochomus quadripustulatus, commonly known as the pine ladybird or pine lady beetle, is a species of beetle of the family Coccinellidae. Exochomus quadripustulatus can reach a length of about 4-6 millimeters. It is almost circular, convex and shining, with a flange around the base. The color is quite variable and may change with age. Usually the elytra are black with two larger red comma-shaped spots and two smaller round red spots. The color of these spots can also be orange or yellow, but completely reddish brown specimens may occur.
This species is present in most of Europe, in the eastern Palearctic, and in the Near East. It was first recorded in Ireland (County Armagh) in 2014. It was introduced to San Francisco between 1915 and 1930 to control the hemlock woolly adelgid, and has since spread across the west coast of North America from California to British Columbia. It is also present in Massachusetts.
This fairly common ladybug can be found from April to October especially on conifers and in areas with deciduous trees. The pine ladybird in both adult and larval stages preys on aphids and scale... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fertő-Hanság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 2 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 3 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 4 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Pine Ladybird sighting in Birmingham on a given day, based on 40 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 203rd 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 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Pine Ladybird in Birmingham on a given day, against under 5% in January and July, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Pine Ladybird sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 27 cities where we can rate Pine Ladybird sightings, Birmingham ranks 6th at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Hamburg (Germany, about 10%), Vienna (Austria, about 10%) and Budapest (Hungary, about 10%).
Same family: Coccinellidae
The closest relatives of the Pine Ladybird that you can see in Birmingham (family Coccinellidae, Lady 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 Pine Ladybird is recorded against all the insects logged in Birmingham (40 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.
