Megalodacne heros
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
Megalodacne heros is a species of pleasing fungus beetle in the family Erotylidae. It is found in eastern North America. 10-23 mm in length and 6.5-9 mm wide as adult, by standards of its family this beetle is huge, and across its range it is the largest pleasing fungus beetle. Its close relative M.fasciata, which co-occurs with M.heros, can often be distinguished by smaller size (less than 20 mm), and always by having a pronotum that has flaring side margins instead of an almost rectangular shape, and "shoulder" blotches that are less extensive.
Media related to Megalodacne heros at Wikimedia Commons Boyle, W. Wayne (1956). "A revision of the Erotylidae of America North of Mexico (Coleoptera)". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 110 (2): 61–172. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Congaree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Megalodacne heros sighting in Congaree National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 131st most-seen of the 145 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.
February and May
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Megalodacne heros in Congaree National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March–April, June, August and October–January, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Megalodacne heros sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Megalodacne heros sightings, Congaree National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (United States, about 40%) and Shenandoah National Park (United States, about 20%).
Same order: Coleoptera
The closest relatives of the Megalodacne heros that you can see in Congaree National Park (order Coleoptera, Beetles) are Eastern Eyed Click Beetle (about 20%), Six-Spotted Tiger Beetle (about 20%) and Swamp Milkweed Leaf Beetle (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Megalodacne heros is recorded against all the insects logged in Congaree National Park (5 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
