Boisea trivittata
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
Boisea trivittata, also called the eastern boxelder bug, box bug, or maple bug, is a species of true bug native to eastern North America. The western boxelder bug, Boisea rubrolineata, is a relative of this species and is native to western North America. Eastern boxelder bugs are found primarily on boxelder, other maples, and ash trees.
Trivittata is from the Latin tri (three) + vittata (banded). The adults are about 13 millimetres (0.51 in) long with a dark brown or black coloration, relieved by red wing veins and markings on the abdomen, with dark red eyes; nymphs are bright red.
Eastern boxelder bugs feed almost entirely on the developing seeds of boxelder, maple, and ash trees. Eastern boxelder bugs feed, lay eggs and develop on boxelder trees, most commonly occurring on female trees as they produce seeds. Eastern boxelder bugs prefer seeds; however, they also suck leaves. They can be frequently observed on maples, as these trees provide them with seeds as well. Eastern boxelder bugs overwinter in plant debris or protected human-inhabited places and other suitable structures.
The eastern boxelder bug... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zion National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Guadalupe Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santiago | 🇨🇱 Chile | |
| 2 | Mendoza | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 3 | Salt Lake City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Calgary | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 8 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 9 | Detroit | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Eastern Boxelder Bug sighting in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a given day, based on 30 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 168th most-seen of the 822 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
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report an Eastern Boxelder Bug in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January and June–August, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Eastern Boxelder Bug sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 5
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Eastern Boxelder Bug sightings, Great Smoky Mountains National Park ranks 4th at about 10%. The best odds are in Zion National Park (United States, about 40%), Guadalupe Mountains National Park (United States, about 20%) and Shenandoah National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same order: Hemiptera
The closest relatives of the Eastern Boxelder Bug that you can see in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (order Hemiptera, True Bugs, Hoppers, Aphids, and allies) are Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (about 20%), Kudzu Bug (about 20%) and Acanthocephala terminalis (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Eastern Boxelder Bug is recorded against all the insects logged in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (30 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.
