Obscure Darkling Beetle

Obscure Darkling Beetle

Eleodes obscura

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Denver

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

5 Verified sightings at Denver
259 In all 4 parks From 2019 to 2026
August Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Obscure Darkling Beetle

Eleodes obscura, commonly known as the obscure darkling beetle, is a species of darkling beetle in the genus Eleodes of western North America. It ranges from south-central British Columbia, eastern Washington and Oregon, south to northern Mexico and east to Nebraska, Kansas and Texas.

Eleodes obscura is dull, black, 23–31 mm (0.9–1.2 in) long with grooved elytra. Each front femur bears an anterior tooth near the tibia. The pronotum lacks obvious forward projections from the anterior corners. The diet of Eleodes obscura includes dead plant material, animal remains, roots, and seeds. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Zion National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~50%
2 Guadalupe Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~30%
3 Grand Canyon National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
4 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Salt Lake City 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Denver 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing an Obscure Darkling Beetle in Denver?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Obscure Darkling Beetle sighting in Denver on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 414th most-seen of the 461 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 an Obscure Darkling Beetle in Denver?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Obscure Darkling Beetle in Denver on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see an Obscure Darkling Beetle?

Between 5 and 8 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Obscure Darkling Beetle sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Denver the best place to see an Obscure Darkling Beetle?

2nd of 2

Of the 2 cities where we can rate Obscure Darkling Beetle sightings, Denver ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Salt Lake City (United States, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Obscure Darkling Beetle live in Denver?

Same genus: Eleodes

The closest relatives of the Obscure Darkling Beetle that you can see in Denver (genus Eleodes, Desert Stink Beetles) are Red-Backed Darkling Beetle (about 10%) and Eleodes fusiformis (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Obscure Darkling Beetle sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Obscure Darkling Beetle is recorded against all the insects logged in Denver (5 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.

← Back to Denver