Megalodacne fasciata
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Megalodacne fasciata is a large North American pleasing fungus beetle species (family Erotylidae). In English, it is commonly called red-banded pleasing fungus beetle or just red-banded fungus beetle, but these names are fairly generic and also describe many other Erotylidae.
This beetle was formerly placed in subfamily Dacninae, or – in taxonomic arrangements that prefer a more comprehensive subfamily Erotylinae – in tribe Dacnini of the Erotylinae; today it is generally included in a split-off subfamily Megalodacninae or tribe Megalodacnini.
With a length of 10-15.5 mm and 5-6 mm wide, adults of this species are the second-largest pleasing fungus beetles in most, and the very largest in part of its range. They are mostly black, with a jagged orange band across the elytra near the wingtip, and an irregular blotch in the same color near each "shoulder"; the midline of the elytra is black, dividing the wingtip band.
Like most of its close relatives, M.fasciata has large compound eyes whose ommatidia are also rather large (indicating nocturnal or crepuscular habits), and lacks a depression in the rather short "clubbed" tips of the antennae. The maxillary palps have a... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Red-Banded Fungus Beetle sighting in Chicago on a given day, based on 20 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 421st most-seen of the 978 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.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Red-Banded Fungus Beetle in Chicago on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Among the best
Of the 8 cities where we can rate Red-Banded Fungus Beetle sightings, Chicago ranks 5th at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Philadelphia (United States, under 5%), Washington (United States, under 5%) and Dallas (United States, under 5%).
Same order: Coleoptera
The closest relatives of the Red-Banded Fungus Beetle that you can see in Chicago (order Coleoptera, Beetles) are Asian Lady Beetle (about 20%), Red Milkweed Beetle (about 20%) and Japanese Beetle (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Red-Banded Fungus Beetle is recorded against all the insects logged in Chicago (20 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.
