Nettle Ground Bug

Nettle Ground Bug

Heterogaster urticae

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at London

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%

39 Verified sightings at London
June Best month

About the Nettle Ground Bug

Heterogaster urticae, common name nettle ground bug, is a species of true bug in the family Heterogastridae. This species can be found in Africa, Europe, Northern Asia (excluding China), New Zealand and North America. Heterogaster urticae can reach a body length of about 6–7 mm (0.24–0.28 in).

These shiny bugs show yellow-brown to brown pronotum and corium. Antennae are gray-yellow. The head and pronotum are covered with whitish long erect hairs. These bugs are also characterized by the alternate dark and light markings on the legs and connexivum. Moreover, fore femora are armed with a single spine and the pale tibiae show three dark annulations. The rostrum reaches only to the middle coxae.

Adults overwinter beneath bark or in hollow woody stem. They emerge in the following spring and mate in June and July. During mating male and females may remain coupled together for 3–4 days. Eggs are laid with a copious secretion in the ground near the host plant. Larvae can be found until September. The new generation is complete from late summer onwards. Adults often forms conspicuous aggregations on nettles. The main hosts plants in Europe... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability

More parks will be added in future updates.

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Rotterdam [The Hague] 🇳🇱 Netherlands
~10%
2 Birmingham 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
3 Rome 🇮🇹 Italy
~10%
4 Brussels 🇧🇪 Belgium
~10%
5 Paris 🇫🇷 France
<5%
6 London 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%
7 Essen 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%
8 Madrid 🇪🇸 Spain
<5%
9 Prague 🇨🇿 Czechia
<5%
10 Lisbon 🇵🇹 Portugal
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Nettle Ground Bug in London?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Nettle Ground Bug sighting in London on a given day, based on 39 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 578th most-seen of the 1504 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Nettle Ground Bug in London?

June and July

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Nettle Ground Bug in London on a given day, against under 5% in August to May, the lowest months.

Is London the best place to see a Nettle Ground Bug?

6th of 10

Of the 10 cities where we can rate Nettle Ground Bug sightings, London ranks 6th at under 5%. The best odds are in Rotterdam [The Hague] (Netherlands, about 10%), Birmingham (United Kingdom, about 10%) and Rome (Italy, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Nettle Ground Bug live in London?

Same order: Hemiptera

The closest relatives of the Nettle Ground Bug that you can see in London (order Hemiptera, True Bugs, Hoppers, Aphids, and allies) are Green Shield Bug (about 30%), Trivial Plant Bug (about 30%) and Dock Bug (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Nettle Ground Bug sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Nettle Ground Bug is recorded against all the insects logged in London (39 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.

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