Phileurus truncatus
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Phileurus truncatus, the triceratops beetle, is a species of beetle of the family Scarabaeidae. It ranges across much of southern North America, up to the central south. It is known for its three horns present on both sexes. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Braulio Carrillo National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 2 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Triceratops 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.
May and July–September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Triceratops Beetle in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June and October–April, the lowest months.
Between 6 and 9 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Triceratops Beetle sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
2nd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Triceratops Beetle sightings, Great Smoky Mountains National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Braulio Carrillo National Park (Costa Rica, about 10%).
Same family: Scarabaeidae
The closest relatives of the Triceratops Beetle that you can see in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (family Scarabaeidae, Scarabs) are Japanese Beetle (about 20%), High Mountain June Beetle (about 10%) and Grapevine Beetle (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Triceratops 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.
