Coptosoma scutellatum
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Coptosoma scutellatum is a species of true bugs belonging to the family Plataspidae, subfamily Plataspinae. Coptosoma scutellatum can reach a size of about 4–5 mm. These small true bugs are almost spherical or trapezoidal in shape and shiny deep black, sometimes with green, blue or bronze gloss. The side edges of the abdomen are yellow. The scutellum covers the abdomen and the tarsus is bipartite.
This species can be found in most of southern Europe and it is widespread from North Africa to Siberia, China, Korea and Japan. In Europe it is missing in the British Isles. It is one of the four European species of Coptosoma, most of other being restricted to Asia and Ethiopia.
These thermophile bugs live in dry and warm areas with moderately dense herbaceous vegetation, in lawns, limestones, clay and sandy soils. In the Alps, it is particularly common in the valleys, but can be found in good conditions up to 1000 meters above sea level.
They mostly feed on legumes (Coronilla species, Lathyrus species) and other leguminous plants, such as alfalfa (Medicago sativa), birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), milkvetch (Astragalus... 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 Soot Sprite sighting in Vienna on a given day, based on 24 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 559th most-seen of the 1406 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.
June and July
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Soot Sprite in Vienna on a given day, against under 5% in August to May, the lowest months. Those are among Vienna's wettest months, with about 90 mm of rain a month against 40 mm in February.
Among the best
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Soot Sprite sightings, Vienna ranks 3rd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Bucharest (Romania, under 5%) and Kyiv (Ukraine, under 5%).
Same order: Hemiptera
The closest relatives of the Soot Sprite that you can see in Vienna (order Hemiptera, True Bugs, Hoppers, Aphids, and allies) are Southern Green Stink Bug (about 30%), European Firebug (about 30%) and Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Soot Sprite is recorded against all the insects logged in Vienna (24 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.
