Euroleon nostras
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Euroleon nostras is a species of antlion found over most of Europe. The scientific name can be translated as "our European [ant] lion". Adults resemble dragonflies or damselflies and may reach up to 30 mm (1.2 in) long, with a wingspan of 70 mm (2.8 in). The larvae prey on ants and other small creatures and require dry sandy soil in which to dig their pitfall traps.
The larva of E. nostras has large jaws and a broad abdomen. When fully developed, which may take two years, it pupates under the soil, undergoes metamorphosis, emerging a month later as a much larger winged insect. The adult E. nostras is brown and resembles a dragonfly or damselfly in appearance. It is about 30 mm (1.2 in) long with a wingspan of about 70 mm (2.8 in). The four large translucent wings are spotted with brown.
Euroleon nostras has a widespread distribution in Europe, and has been recorded from almost all European countries, its range extending from Spain through Germany to western Russia. It is also known from Morocco in North Africa, and from Turkey, Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan in Asia. It is an extremely rare insect in Britain, known only from the Minsmere area of... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 2 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 3 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
No species of the same family or order lives in Essen, so these are its closest relatives here: other insects.
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Spotted-Wing Antlion sighting in Essen on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 347th most-seen of the 434 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 Spotted-Wing Antlion in Essen on a given day, against under 5% in September to June, the lowest months.
Between 9 pm and midnight
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Spotted-Wing Antlion sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
8th of 8
Of the 8 cities where we can rate Spotted-Wing Antlion sightings, Essen ranks 8th at under 5%. The best odds are in Budapest (Hungary, about 10%), Kyiv (Ukraine, about 10%) and Warsaw (Poland, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Spotted-Wing Antlion is recorded against all the insects logged in Essen (6 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.
