Forest Bug

Forest Bug

Pentatoma rufipes

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Helsinki

In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%

182 Verified sightings at Helsinki
518 In all 18 parks From 2019 to 2026
September Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Forest Bug

The forest bug or red-legged shieldbug (Pentatoma rufipes) is a species of shield bug in the family Pentatomidae, commonly found in most of Europe. It inhabits forests, woodlands, orchards, and gardens. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Triglav National Park 🇸🇮 Slovenia
~30%
2 Białowieża National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
~30%
3 Snowdonia National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~20%
4 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~20%
5 Aigüestortes National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~20%
6 Cairngorms National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~20%
7 Plitvice Lakes National Park 🇭🇷 Croatia
~20%
8 Tatra National Park 🇸🇰 Slovakia
~20%
9 Mercantour National Park 🇫🇷 France
~20%
10 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%
11 Ecrins National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%
12 Vanoise National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%
13 Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~10%
14 Picos de Europa National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~10%
15 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%
16 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
17 Fertő-Hanság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~10%
18 Sierra de Guadarrama National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Hamburg 🇩🇪 Germany
~30%
2 Birmingham 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~20%
3 London 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~20%
4 Liverpool 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~20%
5 Manchester 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~20%
6 Munich 🇩🇪 Germany
~20%
7 Helsinki 🇫🇮 Finland
~20%
8 Stockholm 🇸🇪 Sweden
~20%
9 Warsaw 🇵🇱 Poland
~20%
10 Berlin 🇩🇪 Germany
~20%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Forest Bug in Helsinki?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Forest Bug sighting in Helsinki on a given day, based on 182 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 19th most-seen of the 838 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Forest Bug in Helsinki?

July to September

In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Forest Bug in Helsinki on a given day, against under 5% in April–May, October and December–February, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Forest Bug?

Between noon and 3 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Forest Bug sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Helsinki the best place to see a Forest Bug?

7th of 32

Of the 32 cities where we can rate Forest Bug sightings, Helsinki ranks 7th at about 20%. The best odds are in Hamburg (Germany, about 30%), Birmingham (United Kingdom, about 20%) and London (United Kingdom, about 20%).

Which relatives of the Forest Bug live in Helsinki?

Same family: Pentatomidae

The closest relatives of the Forest Bug that you can see in Helsinki (family Pentatomidae, Stink Bugs) are Sloe Bug (about 20%), European Striped Shield Bug (about 20%) and Green Shield Bug (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Forest Bug sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Forest Bug is recorded against all the insects logged in Helsinki (182 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 Helsinki