Meracantha contracta
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Meracantha contracta is a species of darkling beetle found in North America. Adult M. contracta are 11-14 mm in length. The pronotum is large, the abdomen and its overlying elytra are very convex (resulting in a humped appearance), and both pronotum and elytra are covered in punctures. The colour is bronze-black, though newly emerged adults are creamy-white and gradually darken until they take on the mature colour.
Larvae are elongate, cylindrical and reddish-brown. They are notable for the shape of the ninth abdominal segment, which is obliquely truncate (ending abruptly). The truncate surface is strongly concave and has acute margins. This is unique among larvae of North American darkling beetles.
Pupae are about 15 mm long. They are mostly cream-coloured with the head and legs darker but become much more strongly coloured just before emergence. The first five abdominal segments have a two-lobed protuberance on each side, while the eighth and final segment ends in two diverging points.
Like other beetles, M. contracta goes through the four stages of egg, larva, pupa and adult. This species overwinters in the larval stage and inside rotting logs... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Contracted Darkling Beetle sighting in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 441st most-seen of the 822 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June–August and October
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Contracted Darkling Beetle in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a given day, against under 5% in September and November–May, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Contracted Darkling 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.
Among the best
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Contracted Darkling Beetle sightings, Great Smoky Mountains National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Shenandoah National Park (United States, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Contracted Darkling Beetle is recorded against all the insects logged in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (9 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.
