Otiorhynchus ovatus
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
Otiorhynchus ovatus, the strawberry root weevil, is one of the many species in the weevil family (Curculionidae), occurring across Canada and the northern United States. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. Its name comes from its affinity for strawberry plants, which form a large part of its diet. They are, however, known to feed on other plants as well. Occasionally the larvae cause serious damage to seedlings and young transplants in plantations and nurseries (Rose and Lindquest 1985). It is known to be one of the major pests threatening sub-tropical strawberry farming.
The adult strawberry root weevil is about six millimeters long, and is dark brown/black in color. They are often found in the leaves and foliage of the plants they feed on. The adult weevil's elytra are fused together, which means they are unable to fly. The larvae can be up to thirteen millimeters long when fully grown and they are found near the roots of the plants they are infesting. The larvae are white, legless, with a darker colored head and are often C-shaped.
The weevil overwinters as a larva deep in the soil, or as an adult... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Riding Mountain National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Astana | 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | |
| 2 | Rotterdam [The Hague] | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 3 | Warsaw | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 4 | Anchorage | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Helsinki | 🇫🇮 Finland | |
| 6 | Saint Petersburg | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 7 | Novosibirsk | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 8 | Edmonton | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 9 | Nizhny Novgorod | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 10 | Calgary | 🇨🇦 Canada |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Strawberry Root Weevil sighting in Calgary on a given day, based on 39 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 73rd most-seen of the 256 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June to September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Strawberry Root Weevil in Calgary on a given day, against under 5% in October to May, the lowest months. Those are among Calgary's wettest months, with about 70 mm of rain a month against 15 mm in January.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Strawberry Root Weevil sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Among the best
Of the 31 cities where we can rate Strawberry Root Weevil sightings, Calgary ranks 10th at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Astana (Kazakhstan, about 10%), Rotterdam [The Hague] (Netherlands, about 10%) and Warsaw (Poland, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Strawberry Root Weevil is recorded against all the insects logged in Calgary (39 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.
