Planuncus tingitanus
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Planuncus tingitanus s.l. is a working title for any of the species belonging to the Planuncus tingitanus species group, of the cockroach genus Planuncus (Blattodea: Ectobiinae). As the exact status of some the species in this group can not be determined without more research, the whole species complex is referred to by the name of the oldest species in the group sensu lato (hence the "s.l.").
As such, Planuncus tingitanus s.l. refers to an adventive species, or possibly a complex of cryptic species, that has dramatically expanded its range over the southern parts of Northwestern Europe in a very short period of time during the first decades of the 21st century. In Britain it is known as the variable cockroach, due to the variability of its abdominal markings.
The animals spreading across Europe are closely related, or possibly even synonymous to Ectobius perspicillaris tingitanus Bolivar, 1914 (later treated as a species in its own right: Ectobius tingitanus), originally described from the most northern part of Morocco. Furthermore, they cannot be easily distinguished on any constant morphological traits from Ectobius finoti Chopard 1943, described from Algeria... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 2 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Variable Cockroach sighting in Cologne on a given day, based on 44 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 11th most-seen of the 235 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Variable Cockroach in Cologne on a given day, against under 5% in December to April, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Variable Cockroach sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 13
Of the 13 cities where we can rate Variable Cockroach sightings, Cologne ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Paris (France, about 20%) and Berlin (Germany, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Variable Cockroach is recorded against all the insects logged in Cologne (44 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.
