Cicindela sexguttata
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
The six-spotted tiger beetle, also known as the six-spotted green tiger beetle (Cicindela sexguttata), is a common North American species of tiger beetle in the Cicindelinae subfamily. It is common in many areas of the United States, and is well known. It is recognized for its bright green color and its flight pattern. The beetle is largely harmless to humans and may live as long as three years.
They are commonly found in deciduous forests in between Minnesota, southeastern Canada and south to eastern Texas, excluding the Florida Panhandle, and are easily recognizable by their large, white, overlapping mandibles. The adult is 12–14 mm (1/2-5/8") in length, and has fairly long legs. The mandibles give these attractive insects a ferocious appearance. While tiger beetles are voracious predators of small arthropods, they do not bite humans unless handled. Both the common name and the species name refer to the six small white spots on the beetle's metallic-green to metallic-blue-green elytra. This is not always the case, however, as some individuals may have more spots, fewer spots, or none at all, presumably due to genetic variation. This species is associated with wooded... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Congaree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 9 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Six-Spotted Tiger Beetle sighting in Toronto on a given day, based on 500 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 46th most-seen of the 1689 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May and June
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Six-Spotted Tiger Beetle in Toronto on a given day, against under 5% in August to March, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Six-Spotted Tiger Beetle sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 13 cities where we can rate Six-Spotted Tiger Beetle sightings, Toronto ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Washington (United States, about 10%) and Baltimore (United States, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Six-Spotted Tiger Beetle is recorded against all the insects logged in Toronto (500 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.
