Green Dock Beetle

Green Dock Beetle

Gastrophysa viridula

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Copenhagen

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

8 Verified sightings at Copenhagen
28 In all 3 parks From 2019 to 2026
April Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Green Dock Beetle

Gastrophysa viridula, known as the green dock beetle (note: the similar Gastrophysa cyanea in North America is also called the green dock beetle), green dock leaf beetle or green sorrel beetle, is a species of beetle native to Europe.

The length of the green dock beetle varies between sexes, with the males being 4 mm and the females being 7 mm. During the mating season, females have enlarged abdomens. Both sexes are green with a metallic shimmer, which, depending on the light, can be gold green, blue, purple, violet, or red. The legs of this species also shimmer a metallic green, and are strongly built. The antennae are serrated and are medium in length.

Its range extends eastward into western Siberia and the Caucasus Mountains. They are found in heathlands, forests, meadows, and gardens with the presence of plant dock (Rumex), the beetles' food plant. The green dock beetle feeds mainly on dock and green sorrel, rarely feeding... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Snowdonia National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
2 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
3 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Manchester 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
2 Liverpool 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
3 Rotterdam [The Hague] 🇳🇱 Netherlands
~10%
4 Amsterdam 🇳🇱 Netherlands
~10%
5 Hamburg 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
6 Birmingham 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
7 London 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
8 Warsaw 🇵🇱 Poland
~10%
9 Minsk 🇧🇾 Belarus
<5%
10 Leeds 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Green Dock Beetle in Copenhagen?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Green Dock Beetle sighting in Copenhagen on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 304th most-seen of the 476 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.

When is the best time to see a Green Dock Beetle in Copenhagen?

April to June

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Green Dock Beetle in Copenhagen on a given day, against under 5% in July to March, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Green Dock Beetle?

Between 4 and 7 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Green Dock Beetle sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Copenhagen the best place to see a Green Dock Beetle?

12th of 14

Of the 14 cities where we can rate Green Dock Beetle sightings, Copenhagen ranks 12th at under 5%. The best odds are in Manchester (United Kingdom, about 10%), Liverpool (United Kingdom, about 10%) and Rotterdam [The Hague] (Netherlands, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Green Dock Beetle live in Copenhagen?

Same family: Chrysomelidae

The closest relatives of the Green Dock Beetle that you can see in Copenhagen (family Chrysomelidae, Leaf Beetles) are Lily Leaf Beetle (about 10%) and Alder Leaf Beetle (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Green Dock Beetle sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Green Dock Beetle is recorded against all the insects logged in Copenhagen (8 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.

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