Charcoal Seed Bug

Charcoal Seed Bug

Melacoryphus lateralis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Mexico City

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

6 Verified sightings at Mexico City
50 In all 4 parks From 2019 to 2026
May Best month
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted

About the Charcoal Seed Bug

Melacoryphus lateralis pronounced (mela-co-riff-is ladder-a-lis) a species of Hemiptera, or true bug one of several called black-and-red seed bug. Black and fringed with red and gray, some call it the charcoal seed bug, due to its resemblance to a dying ember. Native to the deserts of western North America, they have a tendency to appear in large numbers in the late summer. The Melacoryphus lateralis are close relatives of the small milkweed bug, another black-and-orange insect and are also very durable being able to survive being stomped on. Body sizes range from 0.06 inches (1.5 mm) up to 0.47 inches (12 mm). Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Zion National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Mesa 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Denver 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Phoenix 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
4 Austin 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
5 Mexico City 🇲🇽 México
<5%
6 San Diego 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
7 Los Angeles 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Charcoal Seed Bug in Mexico City?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Charcoal Seed Bug sighting in Mexico City on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 511th most-seen of the 557 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.

When is the best time to see a Charcoal Seed Bug in Mexico City?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Charcoal Seed Bug in Mexico City on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Charcoal Seed Bug?

Between 8 and 11 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Charcoal Seed Bug sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.

Is Mexico City the best place to see a Charcoal Seed Bug?

5th of 7

Of the 7 cities where we can rate Charcoal Seed Bug sightings, Mexico City ranks 5th at under 5%. The best odds are in Mesa (United States, about 10%), Denver (United States, about 10%) and Phoenix (United States, under 5%).

Where does the Charcoal Seed Bug sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Charcoal Seed Bug is recorded against all the insects logged in Mexico City (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.

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