Eurygaster maura
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Eurygaster maura, also known as tortoise bug, is a species of true bugs or shield-backed bugs belonging to the family Scutelleridae. This species is widespread in Europe, but also in large parts of Asia and North America.
Their habitats are calcareous grasslands with wild grasses. Eurygaster maura can reach a length of 8–11 millimetres (0.31–0.43 in). The body is oval and slightly convex and the head is triangular and smoothly rounded, with a small pair of compound eyes. The pronotum has slightly protruding hind corners. The scutellum covers the wings and the whole abdomen. The ground color is mostly brown, but can be light gray or also black.
This species is rather similar to Eurygaster testudinaria, but it is slightly smaller and smoothly rounded, with less protruding hind corner. Eurygaster maura is a univoltine species. These shield-backed bugs can be found from May to August, becoming adult from July. The females lay their eggs in the spring in small packages on the underside of the leaves surface. After a few weeks the eggs hatch the young nymphs. After five molts, they are fully developed and ready to overwinter... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 2 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a European Tortoise Bug sighting in Rome on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 247th most-seen of the 289 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.
April to June
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a European Tortoise Bug in Rome on a given day, against under 5% in July to March, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most European Tortoise Bug sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 8
Of the 8 cities where we can rate European Tortoise Bug sightings, Rome ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Budapest (Hungary, about 10%) and Vienna (Austria, about 10%).
Same order: Hemiptera
The closest relatives of the European Tortoise Bug that you can see in Rome (order Hemiptera, True Bugs, Hoppers, Aphids, and allies) are European Firebug (about 30%), Ash Cicada (about 20%) and European Striped Shield Bug (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the European Tortoise Bug is recorded against all the insects logged in Rome (5 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.
