Phymatodes testaceus
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Phymatodes testaceus (commonly known as the tanbark borer, or the violet tanbark beetle) is a transpalearctic polymorphic species of beetle in the subfamily Cerambycinae in the longhorn beetle family. The P. testaceus imago is typically 6–16 mm in length. Their eggs are 1 mm long, and in athwart 0.5 mm. Larvae of the species are 10–18 mm long and 2.1 mm wide. Pupa are 9 mm long, and the abdomen is 2.8 mm wide.
Distribution of these beetle extends from the European Atlantic coastline to the Southern Ural Mountains, from southern Sweden and Norway to North Africa and Syria. It is also distributed throughout Japan and North America.
Larvae develop in and under the bark of various deciduous tree species, causing damage. Larvae pupate in the spring. The beetle's life cycle lasts one year in central and southern parts, and two years in northern climes. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 2 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 3 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kyiv | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | |
| 2 | Copenhagen | 🇩🇰 Denmark | |
| 3 | Essen | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 4 | Vienna | 🇦🇹 Austria | |
| 5 | Paris | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 6 | Amsterdam | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 7 | Lyon | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 8 | Porto | 🇵🇹 Portugal | |
| 9 | Birmingham | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 10 | Munich | 🇩🇪 Germany |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Tanbark Borer sighting in Birmingham on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 668th most-seen of the 811 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.
June and July
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Tanbark Borer in Birmingham on a given day, against under 5% in August to May, the lowest months.
Between 6 and 9 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Tanbark Borer sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
9th of 14
Of the 14 cities where we can rate Tanbark Borer sightings, Birmingham ranks 9th at under 5%. The best odds are in Kyiv (Ukraine, about 10%), Copenhagen (Denmark, about 10%) and Essen (Germany, about 10%).
Same family: Cerambycidae
The closest relatives of the Tanbark Borer that you can see in Birmingham (family Cerambycidae, Longhorn Beetles) are Spotted Longhorn Beetle (about 10%), Wasp Beetle (about 10%) and Common Grammoptera (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Tanbark Borer is recorded against all the insects logged in Birmingham (6 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.
