Elasmostethus interstinctus
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
Elasmostethus interstinctus, the birch shield bug, is species of shield bug in the Acanthosomatidae family. Shield bugs are often called "stink bugs" because they excrete a foul smelling liquid that is used to deter predators.
This rather common species has an holarctic range. It is widely distributed across Europe, Northern Asia (excluding China) and in North America. These shield bugs mainly inhabit sunny areas with mixed birch woodlands, deciduous trees and shrubs.
Elasmostethus interstinctus can reach a length of 8–11.5 millimetres (0.31–0.45 in). These shield bugs have a relatively flat body with the entire upper surface covered with mostly black punctures. The dorsal side is a bright yellow-green, with various red markings. In particular, pronotum is yellow-green, scutellum is green with a red center, clavus and corium are intensely red and the apex of the elytra are also bright red. The ventral side and the abdominal margins are yellow. Legs are yellow-green.
This species of shield bug can be confused with the Hawthorn Shield Bug (Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale), which is larger and more elongate and has a smaller lateral extensions... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cairngorms National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 4 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anchorage | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Liverpool | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | Birmingham | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 4 | Manchester | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 5 | Leeds | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 6 | Dublin | 🇮🇪 Ireland | |
| 7 | Helsinki | 🇫🇮 Finland | |
| 8 | Yekaterinburg | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 9 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 10 | Copenhagen | 🇩🇰 Denmark |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Birch Shield Bug sighting in London on a given day, based on 51 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 471st most-seen of the 1504 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April and September–February
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Birch Shield Bug in London on a given day, against under 5% in March and May–August, the lowest months.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Birch Shield Bug sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
9th of 15
Of the 15 cities where we can rate Birch Shield Bug sightings, London ranks 9th at about 10%. The best odds are in Anchorage (United States, about 20%), Liverpool (United Kingdom, about 20%) and Birmingham (United Kingdom, about 20%).
Same family: Acanthosomatidae
The closest relatives of the Birch Shield Bug that you can see in London (family Acanthosomatidae, Shield Bugs) are Parent Bug (about 10%), Hawthorn Shield Bug (about 10%) and Juniper Shield Bug (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Birch Shield Bug is recorded against all the insects logged in London (51 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.
