Cryptolaemus montrouzieri
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
Cryptolaemus montrouzieri, common name mealybug ladybird or mealybug destroyer, is a species of ladybird beetle native to eastern Australia. The beetle feeds on mealybugs and other scale insects, and is used to control those pests on citrus orchards worldwide.
Étienne Mulsant described C. montrouzieri, naming the new species after a Marist brother and missionary, Abbe Montrouzier, who wrote an "Insect Fauna of Woodlark Island". Cryptolaemus montrouzieri is endemic to Queensland and New South Wales, Australia. It is now also present in Europe (France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Cyprus and as far as Northern Germany), in North Africa, in the Afrotropical realm, in the Nearctic realm, and in the Neotropical realm.
Cryptolaemus montrouzieri can reach a length of about 6 millimetres (0.24 in). Adults of this species have the typical ladybird shape but, unlike many of the often brightly coloured Coccinellidae, the elytra of these small ladybirds are predominantly dark brown and have no spots. Head, antennae, pronotum, the end of the elytra and the legs are orange-brown. Larvae can reach a length of 14–15 millimetres (0.55–0.59 in). They show... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taroko National Park | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | |
| 2 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Mealybug Destroyer sighting in Sydney on a given day, based on 163 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 79th most-seen of the 742 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September to June
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Mealybug Destroyer in Sydney on a given day, against under 5% in July and August, the lowest months.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Mealybug Destroyer sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 28 cities where we can rate Mealybug Destroyer sightings, Sydney ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Brisbane (Australia, about 10%) and Tel Aviv (Israel, about 10%).
Same family: Coccinellidae
The closest relatives of the Mealybug Destroyer that you can see in Sydney (family Coccinellidae, Lady Beetles) are Variable Ladybird Beetle (about 20%), Fungus-Eating Ladybird (about 20%) and Large Spotted Ladybird (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Mealybug Destroyer is recorded against all the insects logged in Sydney (163 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.
