Saint John's Wort Beetle

Saint John's Wort Beetle

Chrysolina hyperici

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Portland

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%

51 Verified sightings at Portland
May Best month

About the Saint John's Wort Beetle

Chrysolina hyperici, the lesser Saint John's wort beetle is a species of beetles of the family Chrysomelidae. The species lays up to 2,000 eggs on the host plant during the early fall. They lay their eggs on the undersides of leaves of new fall basal growth on its host plant, St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum), although it is also known to feed on other species of Hypericum. The larvae feed for a month on the leaves, emerging at night and hiding during the day. When full grown they move to the soil to pupate. After two weeks they emerge as adults. In the spring the adults feed upon new growth of their host plant.

The species is most often classified as Chrysolina hyperici (Forster, 1771), however it was originally placed in the genus Chrysomela as Chrysomela hyperici. It was first scientifically described and named by Johann Reinhold Forster in Novæ species insectorum in the year 1771. Within the genus Chrysolina, the species is classified in the subgenus Hypericia. It is closely related to the species Chrysolina quadrigemina.

Chrysolina hyperici is often known in English by the common names "St. Johnswort Beetle", "Saint John's... 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 Portland 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Seattle 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
3 Sacramento 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
4 Vancouver 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
5 Birmingham 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%
6 Helsinki 🇫🇮 Finland
<5%
7 Toronto 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
8 Boston 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
9 Montreal 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Saint John's Wort Beetle in Portland?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Saint John's Wort Beetle sighting in Portland on a given day, based on 51 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 120th most-seen of the 507 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.

When is the best time to see a Saint John's Wort Beetle in Portland?

May–June and October

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Saint John's Wort Beetle in Portland on a given day, against under 5% in July–September and November–April, the lowest months.

Is Portland the best place to see a Saint John's Wort Beetle?

Yes

Of the 9 cities where we can rate Saint John's Wort Beetle sightings, Portland has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Seattle (United States, under 5%) and Sacramento (United States, under 5%).

Which relatives of the Saint John's Wort Beetle live in Portland?

Same family: Chrysomelidae

The closest relatives of the Saint John's Wort Beetle that you can see in Portland (family Chrysomelidae, Leaf Beetles) are Spotted Cucumber Beetle (about 10%) and Coreopsis Beetle (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Saint John's Wort Beetle sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Saint John's Wort Beetle is recorded against all the insects logged in Portland (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.

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