Melanophila acuminata
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Melanophila acuminata, known generally as the black fire beetle or fire bug, is a species of metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae. It is found in the Caribbean, Europe and Northern Asia (excluding China), Central America, North America, and Southern Asia. They get their common name due to the fact that they swarm freshly burned conifer trees, which they find using sensors on their thorax. Adults are black and 7–11 mm in length.
It has been suggested that this species is the pyrotocon, an insect said to be born from fire, of the Natural history by Pliny the Elder. The Melanophila acuminata species of the family is the most geographically distributed, with individuals spanning across the Holarctic region (Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea) to Northern Africa to the Caribbeans where they were likely introduced. While its prevalence and abundance are relatively evenly distributed rather than being concentrated in a certain region, they are more sporadic and face the risk of extirpation in Europe. This is likely due to the high fire control and predominance of commercial softwood forestry native to Europe. In the Nearctic, adults swarm in huge numbers... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jasper National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black Fire Beetle sighting in Edmonton on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 218th most-seen of the 390 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 Black Fire Beetle in Edmonton on a given day, against under 5% in September to June, the lowest months. Those are among Edmonton's wettest months, with about 75 mm of rain a month against 20 mm in February.
Between 6 and 9 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black Fire Beetle sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
Yes
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Black Fire Beetle sightings, Edmonton has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Vancouver (Canada, under 5%) and Calgary (Canada, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black Fire Beetle is recorded against all the insects logged in Edmonton (10 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.
