Bruchidius villosus
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Bruchidius villosus is a species of bean weevil known by the common names broom seed beetle and Scotch broom bruchid. This beetle is used as an agent of biological pest control against the noxious weed known as Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius).
This is a dark gray weevil about two millimeters long. The female lays about ten eggs on the seed pod of the plant. The larva hatches from the egg at the point it is attached to the pod and burrows into the pod, where it develops and feeds on the seeds. The larva is one to two millimeters long and gelatinous white. It pupates in the seed coat. When the seed pod ripens and splits open, adult weevils emerge.
This beetle is native to Europe. It was introduced to the United States by accident but was found to drastically reduce seed production in Scotch broom, its host plant. It became one of the newest insects to be deliberately released for the control of the plant in the 1990s. Its viability as a biocontrol agent is under study. It is used less often in New Zealand because it was found to attack plants other than its target when introduced there. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
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More parks will be added in future updates.
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Broom Seed Beetle sighting in Vancouver on a given day, based on 35 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 163rd most-seen of the 482 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May to July
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Broom Seed Beetle in Vancouver on a given day, against under 5% in August to April, the lowest months. Those are among Vancouver's driest months, with about 45 mm of rain a month against 210 mm in November.
Among the best
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Broom Seed Beetle sightings, Vancouver ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in London (United Kingdom, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Broom Seed Beetle is recorded against all the insects logged in Vancouver (35 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.
