Rhyzobius lophanthae
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Rhyzobius lophanthae, commonly known as the purple scale predator or the scale-eating ladybird, is a species of ladybird native to Queensland and Southern Australia. It was introduced into the United States in the 1890s and has since spread over the southern half of the country.
This insect was first described in California in 1892 by the American entomologist Frank Ellsworth Blaisdell. He named it Scymnus lophanthae, and thought it was a native American species. Unbeknown to him, the beetle was an introduced species, and at about the same time, it was described in its native Australia by the Australian entomologist Thomas Blackburn, who gave it the name Rhizobius toowoombae. However, Blaisdell's name took precedence as it was published first, and R. toowoombae became a synonym. The specific name lophanthae means "of lophantha", referring to the plant Paraserianthes lophantha on which Blaisdell originally saw the ladybird.
Rhyzobius lophanthae is a small ladybird with a length between 1.7 and 2.85 mm (0.07 and 0.11 in) and a width of between 1.35 and 2.0 mm (0.05 and 0.08 in). The head and prothorax are reddish-brown, as is the underside, both being... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lyon | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 2 | Madrid | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 3 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Paris | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 5 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 6 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 7 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Purple Scale Predator sighting in Madrid on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 377th most-seen of the 457 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
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Purple Scale Predator in Madrid on a given day, against under 5% in August to June, the lowest months. That is one of Madrid's driest months, with about 10 mm of rain against 65 mm in October.
Among the best
Of the 7 cities where we can rate Purple Scale Predator sightings, Madrid ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Lyon (France, under 5%).
Same family: Coccinellidae
The closest relatives of the Purple Scale Predator that you can see in Madrid (family Coccinellidae, Lady Beetles) are Seven-Spotted Lady Beetle (about 30%), Variegated Lady Beetle (about 10%) and Two-Spotted Lady Beetle (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Purple Scale Predator is recorded against all the insects logged in Madrid (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.
