Systena frontalis
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Systena frontalis, the red-headed flea beetle or cranberry flea beetle, is a species of flea beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It is found in North America. It is named for its red colored head that contrasts its black body. Like other flea beetles, it has powerful saltatorial hind legs specialized for jumping. Like all beetles, this insect is holometabolous The larvae are off white in color, 5-10mm in length, have a sclerotized head capsule and a short posterior protrusion.
It is a common insect pest in the eastern United States. Although its origin is uncertain, S. frontalis is thought to be a native species. It has become a highly destructive pest of ornamental plants in nurseries. It creates "extensive perforations" in the leaves while feeding on common ironweed, Vernonia fasciculata. It is also known to enjoy hydrangeas. Currently, researchers are looking to better understand its phenology and biology to come up with more sustainable pest management practices than frequent spraying of pesticides.
Systena frontalis produces one generation a year under natural conditions, but when infesting the container production of plants it may have up to four generations... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Red-Headed Systena sighting in Dallas on a given day, based on 19 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 690th most-seen of the 1412 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.
July and August
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Red-Headed Systena in Dallas on a given day, against under 5% in September to June, the lowest months.
Among the best
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Red-Headed Systena sightings, Dallas ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Montreal (Canada, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Red-Headed Systena is recorded against all the insects logged in Dallas (19 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.
