Valgus hemipterus
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
Valgus hemipterus is a smallish species of scarab beetle (family Scarabaeidae) found in the Northern Hemisphere. This species occurs from the Caucasus and Turkey to North Africa and southern and central Europe (Albania, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Central European Russia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, European Turkey, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Republic of North Macedonia, Northwest European Russia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, South European Russia, Spain, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Ukraine, Yugoslavia).
The species has been introduced to the Nearctic realm, in parts of North America, especially Ontario, Michigan and Ohio. This species reaches a body length of 6–10 mm. The basic color is black or dark brown. The scales on the body of the male are dark brown with a light pattern, while most scales in females are dark. Pronotum is rather serrate along lateral edges, a transverse medial ridges is not well developed... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kiskunság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 2 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 3 | Fertő-Hanság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 4 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 5 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 6 | Sierra Nevada National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Valgus hemipterus sighting in Cologne on a given day, based on 22 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 45th most-seen of the 235 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Valgus hemipterus in Cologne on a given day, against under 5% in July to March, the lowest months.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Valgus hemipterus sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
15th of 29
Of the 29 cities where we can rate Valgus hemipterus sightings, Cologne ranks 15th at about 10%. The best odds are in Kharkiv (Ukraine, about 20%), Kyiv (Ukraine, about 20%) and Sofia (Bulgaria, about 20%).
Same family: Scarabaeidae
The closest relatives of the Valgus hemipterus that you can see in Cologne (family Scarabaeidae, Scarabs) are Mediterranean Spotted Chafer (about 10%), European Rose Chafer (about 10%) and European Rhinoceros Beetle (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Valgus hemipterus is recorded against all the insects logged in Cologne (22 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.
