Heterogaster urticae
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Heterogaster urticae, common name nettle ground bug, is a species of true bug in the family Heterogastridae. This species can be found in Africa, Europe, Northern Asia (excluding China), New Zealand and North America. Heterogaster urticae can reach a body length of about 6–7 mm (0.24–0.28 in).
These shiny bugs show yellow-brown to brown pronotum and corium. Antennae are gray-yellow. The head and pronotum are covered with whitish long erect hairs. These bugs are also characterized by the alternate dark and light markings on the legs and connexivum. Moreover, fore femora are armed with a single spine and the pale tibiae show three dark annulations. The rostrum reaches only to the middle coxae.
Adults overwinter beneath bark or in hollow woody stem. They emerge in the following spring and mate in June and July. During mating male and females may remain coupled together for 3–4 days. Eggs are laid with a copious secretion in the ground near the host plant. Larvae can be found until September. The new generation is complete from late summer onwards. Adults often forms conspicuous aggregations on nettles. The main hosts plants in Europe... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rotterdam [The Hague] | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 2 | Birmingham | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | Rome | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 4 | Brussels | 🇧🇪 Belgium | |
| 5 | Paris | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 6 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 7 | Essen | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 8 | Madrid | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 9 | Prague | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 10 | Lisbon | 🇵🇹 Portugal |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Nettle Ground Bug sighting in Brussels on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 213th most-seen of the 337 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.
March, June–August, October and December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Nettle Ground Bug in Brussels on a given day, against under 5% in January–February, April–May, September and November, the lowest months.
Among the best
Of the 10 cities where we can rate Nettle Ground Bug sightings, Brussels ranks 4th at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Rotterdam [The Hague] (Netherlands, about 10%), Birmingham (United Kingdom, about 10%) and Rome (Italy, about 10%).
Same order: Hemiptera
The closest relatives of the Nettle Ground Bug that you can see in Brussels (order Hemiptera, True Bugs, Hoppers, Aphids, and allies) are European Firebug (about 30%), Southern Green Stink Bug (about 20%) and Dock Bug (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Nettle Ground Bug is recorded against all the insects logged in Brussels (8 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.
