Systena frontalis
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Systena frontalis, the red-headed flea beetle or cranberry flea beetle, is a species of flea beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It is found in North America. It is named for its red colored head that contrasts its black body. Like other flea beetles, it has powerful saltatorial hind legs specialized for jumping. Like all beetles, this insect is holometabolous The larvae are off white in color, 5-10mm in length, have a sclerotized head capsule and a short posterior protrusion.
It is a common insect pest in the eastern United States. Although its origin is uncertain, S. frontalis is thought to be a native species. It has become a highly destructive pest of ornamental plants in nurseries. It creates "extensive perforations" in the leaves while feeding on common ironweed, Vernonia fasciculata. It is also known to enjoy hydrangeas. Currently, researchers are looking to better understand its phenology and biology to come up with more sustainable pest management practices than frequent spraying of pesticides.
Systena frontalis produces one generation a year under natural conditions, but when infesting the container production of plants it may have up to four generations... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Red-Headed Systena sighting in Montreal on a given day, based on 23 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 322nd most-seen of the 926 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 Red-Headed Systena in Montreal on a given day, against under 5% in August to June, the lowest months.
Yes
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Red-Headed Systena sightings, Montreal has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Dallas (United States, under 5%) and Washington (United States, under 5%).
Same family: Chrysomelidae
The closest relatives of the Red-Headed Systena that you can see in Montreal (family Chrysomelidae, Leaf Beetles) are Swamp Milkweed Leaf Beetle (about 10%), Striped Cucumber Beetle (about 10%) and Spotted Cucumber Beetle (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Red-Headed Systena is recorded against all the insects logged in Montreal (23 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.
