Cryptolaemus montrouzieri
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Cryptolaemus montrouzieri, common name mealybug ladybird or mealybug destroyer, is a species of ladybird beetle native to eastern Australia. The beetle feeds on mealybugs and other scale insects, and is used to control those pests on citrus orchards worldwide.
Étienne Mulsant described C. montrouzieri, naming the new species after a Marist brother and missionary, Abbe Montrouzier, who wrote an "Insect Fauna of Woodlark Island". Cryptolaemus montrouzieri is endemic to Queensland and New South Wales, Australia. It is now also present in Europe (France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Cyprus and as far as Northern Germany), in North Africa, in the Afrotropical realm, in the Nearctic realm, and in the Neotropical realm.
Cryptolaemus montrouzieri can reach a length of about 6 millimetres (0.24 in). Adults of this species have the typical ladybird shape but, unlike many of the often brightly coloured Coccinellidae, the elytra of these small ladybirds are predominantly dark brown and have no spots. Head, antennae, pronotum, the end of the elytra and the legs are orange-brown. Larvae can reach a length of 14–15 millimetres (0.55–0.59 in). They show... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taroko National Park | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | |
| 2 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Mealybug Destroyer sighting in Cape Town on a given day, based on 17 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 170th 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.
November to January
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Mealybug Destroyer in Cape Town on a given day, against under 5% in February to October, the lowest months. Those are among Cape Town's driest months, with about 30 mm of rain a month against 140 mm in June.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Mealybug Destroyer sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
12th of 28
Of the 28 cities where we can rate Mealybug Destroyer sightings, Cape Town ranks 12th at under 5%. The best odds are in Brisbane (Australia, about 10%), Tel Aviv (Israel, about 10%) and Sydney (Australia, about 10%).
Same family: Coccinellidae
The closest relatives of the Mealybug Destroyer that you can see in Cape Town (family Coccinellidae, Lady Beetles) are Lunate Lady Beetle (about 10%), Asian Lady Beetle (about 10%) and Variegated Lady Beetle (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Mealybug Destroyer is recorded against all the insects logged in Cape Town (17 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.
