Cysteodemus armatus
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%
Cysteodemus armatus, the inflated blister beetle, is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae. It is found in Central America and North America. The wing covers, which are mostly glabrous, are inflated to the point of almost covering part of the thorax. They are black, densely spotted with white. The elytra are fused along the middle, meaning that the beetle cannot fly. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report an Inflated Beetle sighting in Death Valley National Park on a given day, based on 43 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 17th most-seen of the 108 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March and April
In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report an Inflated Beetle in Death Valley National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May to January, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Inflated Beetle sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Inflated Beetle sightings, Death Valley National Park has the highest daily chance: about 30%. Next come Joshua Tree National Park (United States, about 30%).
Same family: Meloidae
The closest relatives of the Inflated Beetle that you can see in Death Valley National Park (family Meloidae, Blister Beetles) are Master Blister Beetle (about 40%), Eupompha schwarzi (about 20%) and Phodaga alticeps (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Inflated Beetle is recorded against all the insects logged in Death Valley National Park (43 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.
