Hylamorpha elegans
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Hylamorpha elegans is a species of beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. It is the only species in the genus Hylamorpha. This beetle is native to South America, particularly in Chile and Argentina. This beetle is recognized for its appearance and ecological role within its habitat as a decomposer. Its glossy green exoskeleton, with variations in color across its head, pronotum, and elytra, make it. This species is primarily nocturnal, so is often observed foraging for food at night.
Their mating behavior is influenced by host-plant volatiles, with males being attracted to females emitting specific pheromones while feeding on leaves. Once mating occurs, females lay eggs on preferred host plants, such as red clover.
These beetles are agricultural pests, causing damage to crops by feeding on grass and cereal roots in their larval stage. Additionally, they defoliate trees like Nothofagus species during adulthood, impacting forest ecosystems. Predators such as the black-faced ibis and rainbow trout contribute to controlling their population. Understanding their genetics, including chemoreception mechanisms mediated by odorant-binding proteins and chemoreceptors, provides insights into their behavior and potential management strategies. Their interactions with humans and livestock create problems in agriculture and forestry, driving the exploration of alternative pest management approaches like disrupting mating behavior or enhancing soil organic matter to reduce larval damage. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nahuel Huapi National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santiago | 🇨🇱 Chile |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Hylamorpha elegans sighting in Santiago on a given day, based on 17 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 71st most-seen of the 173 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
November
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Hylamorpha elegans in Santiago on a given day, against under 5% in January–April and June–October, the lowest months. That is one of Santiago's driest months, with about 10 mm of rain against 65 mm in June.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Hylamorpha elegans sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
Only Santiago, in our data
Santiago is the only city on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Hylamorpha elegans sightings: about 10% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Hylamorpha elegans is recorded against all the insects logged in Santiago (17 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.
