Agrilus planipennis
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis), also known by the abbreviation EAB, is a green buprestid or jewel beetle native to north-eastern Asia that feeds on ash species (Fraxinus spp.). Females lay eggs in bark crevices on ash trees, and larvae feed underneath the bark of ash trees to emerge as adults in one to two years. In its native range, it is typically found at low densities and does not cause significant damage to trees native to the area. Outside its native range, it is an invasive species and is highly destructive to ash trees native to Europe and North America. Before it was found in North America, very little was known about the emerald ash borer in its native range; this has resulted in much of the research on its biology being focused in North America. Local governments in North America are attempting to control it by monitoring its spread, diversifying tree species, and through the use of insecticides and biological control.
French priest and naturalist Armand David collected a specimen of the species during one of his trips through Imperial China in the 1860s and 1870s. He found the beetle in Beijing and sent it to France, where the first brief description... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kharkiv | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | |
| 2 | Kyiv | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | |
| 3 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 10 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Emerald Ash Borer sighting in Boston on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 695th most-seen of the 1200 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 December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Emerald Ash Borer in Boston on a given day, against under 5% in January–May and July–November, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Emerald Ash Borer sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
11th of 13
Of the 13 cities where we can rate Emerald Ash Borer sightings, Boston ranks 11th at under 5%. The best odds are in Kharkiv (Ukraine, about 10%), Kyiv (Ukraine, about 10%) and Minneapolis [Saint Paul] (United States, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Emerald Ash Borer is recorded against all the insects logged in Boston (12 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.
