Anthrenus museorum
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
Anthrenus museorum, commonly known as the museum beetle, is a species of beetle found in the Palearctic (including Europe), the Near East and the Nearctic. In its larval form it damages all forms of dry skin and hair. The larva will also eat dry cheese, flour or cocoa occasionally. It is considered a pest, as it damages, among others, the skin of taxidermied animals, such as polar bears and big cats in museums.
The larva is yellowish, hairy, and measures 4.5 millimetres (0.18 in). The dorsal surface of the prothorax is brownish. At its rear end, it has three pairs of long antenna. The adult measures 2 to 4 mm. It has a round shape and its dark elytra are spotted with bright colors. It lives for one or two weeks, outdoors, on plants. It prefers the flowers of Asteraceae, Apiaceae and Scrophulariaceae. To lay eggs, the female seeks nooks, carpets, flooring or wool to hide and to assure a food supply for the larvae. She lays forty eggs at a time once a year.
Generally cosmopolitan (appears in Europe, North America, Asia, Africa and Australia). In Europe, it is known from Albania, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, mainland... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Helsinki | 🇫🇮 Finland | |
| 2 | Stockholm | 🇸🇪 Sweden | |
| 3 | Edmonton | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Saint Petersburg | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 5 | Moscow | 🇷🇺 Russia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Museum Beetle sighting in Helsinki on a given day, based on 50 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 125th most-seen of the 838 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March–July and November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Museum Beetle in Helsinki on a given day, against under 5% in August–October and December–February, the lowest months.
Yes
Of the 5 cities where we can rate Museum Beetle sightings, Helsinki has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Stockholm (Sweden, under 5%) and Edmonton (Canada, under 5%).
Same family: Dermestidae
The closest relatives of the Museum Beetle that you can see in Helsinki (family Dermestidae, Skin Beetles) are Larder Beetle (about 10%), Brown Carpet Beetle (about 10%) and Attagenus woodroffei (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Museum Beetle is recorded against all the insects logged in Helsinki (50 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.
