Hemisphaerota cyanea
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
Hemisphaerota cyanea, also known as the palmetto tortoise beetle, is a species in the Chrysomelidae (leaf beetle) family. Beetles in this family are commonly characterized by their small size (usually less than 13 mm), relatively oval and convex shape, variable color but often shining/ iridescent bodies, small heads, and 5-jointed tarsi. Other names include the Florida tortoise beetle and iridescent blue chrysomelid beetle. It is native to the southeastern United States. The specific name (cyanea) means "dark blue", and the beetle earned its name as the palmetto tortoise beetle because it is the only tortoise beetle that feeds on palms.
The palmetto tortoise beetle is a small beetle growing 4.6–5.6 mm (0.18–0.22 in) in length. The coloring of the elytra (hardened outer wings) and pronotum (a prominent plate-like structure covering the thorax) is a dark, metallic blue or purple. The beetle has a hemispherical dome shape. The antennae are short and enlarged at the tips; they are orange in color except for the black basal segments. The tarsi (foot or contact surface of the leg) are large. Each of these tarsi holds around 10,000 adhesive bristles, and each bristle contains... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Palmetto Tortoise Beetle sighting in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 138th most-seen of the 189 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January–March, May and August
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Palmetto Tortoise Beetle in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, against under 5% in April, June–July and September–December, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Palmetto Tortoise 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 3 parks where we can rate Palmetto Tortoise Beetle sightings, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Big Cypress National Preserve (United States, about 10%) and Everglades National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same order: Coleoptera
The closest relatives of the Palmetto Tortoise Beetle that you can see in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (order Coleoptera, Beetles) are Margined Leatherwing Beetle (about 10%), Asian Lady Beetle (about 10%) and Horned Passalus Beetle (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Palmetto Tortoise Beetle is recorded against all the insects logged in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (7 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.
