Phoracantha semipunctata
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Phoracantha semipunctata, the Australian Eucalyptus longhorn, is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. Native to Australia, it has now spread to many parts of the world, including practically all countries where tree species of Eucalyptus have been introduced. It has been classified as an invasive pest species of Eucalyptus outside Australia.
Within Australia, Phoracantha semipunctata primarily seeks for decaying trees and branches which have been critically impaired due to natural disasters. In other regions of the world, it inflicts critical damage upon introduced Eucalyptus trees. However, the damage inflicted by Phoracantha semipunctata may be seen as a positive factor in some regions, as Eucalyptus trees that are introduced are seen as invasive plant species imposing harm on the natural environment.
Phoracantha semipunctata are typically dark brown & beige in colour and are approximately similar in size measuring at around 2.3cm long. They are primarily active during the more temperate initial dusk hours, and are found in populations within host trees, which are predominantly male-oriented. These host trees are determined according to the suitability of adult mating and oviposition, and the viability of larvae development. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Common Eucalyptus Longhorn sighting in Cape Town on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 219th most-seen of the 311 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.
March
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Eucalyptus Longhorn in Cape Town on a given day, against under 5% in April to February, the lowest months. That is one of Cape Town's driest months, with about 25 mm of rain against 140 mm in June.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Eucalyptus Longhorn sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
7th of 8
Of the 8 cities where we can rate Common Eucalyptus Longhorn sightings, Cape Town ranks 7th at under 5%. The best odds are in Perth (Australia, about 10%), Quito (Ecuador, about 10%) and Melbourne (Australia, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Common Eucalyptus Longhorn is recorded against all the insects logged in Cape Town (9 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.
