Hylamorpha elegans
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
Hylamorpha elegans is a species of beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. It is the only species in the genus Hylamorpha. This beetle is native to South America, particularly in Chile and Argentina. This beetle is recognized for its appearance and ecological role within its habitat as a decomposer. Its glossy green exoskeleton, with variations in color across its head, pronotum, and elytra, make it. This species is primarily nocturnal, so is often observed foraging for food at night.
Their mating behavior is influenced by host-plant volatiles, with males being attracted to females emitting specific pheromones while feeding on leaves. Once mating occurs, females lay eggs on preferred host plants, such as red clover.
These beetles are agricultural pests, causing damage to crops by feeding on grass and cereal roots in their larval stage. Additionally, they defoliate trees like Nothofagus species during adulthood, impacting forest ecosystems. Predators such as the black-faced ibis and rainbow trout contribute to controlling their population. Understanding their genetics, including chemoreception mechanisms mediated by odorant-binding proteins and chemoreceptors, provides insights into their behavior and potential management strategies. Their interactions with humans and livestock create problems in agriculture and forestry, driving the exploration of alternative pest management approaches like disrupting mating behavior or enhancing soil organic matter to reduce larval damage. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nahuel Huapi National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santiago | 🇨🇱 Chile |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Hylamorpha elegans sighting in Nahuel Huapi National Park on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 19th most-seen of the 39 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
December
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Hylamorpha elegans in Nahuel Huapi National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March to November, the lowest months. That is one of Nahuel Huapi National Park's driest months, with about 80 mm of rain against 310 mm in June.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Hylamorpha elegans sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
Only Nahuel Huapi National Park, in our data
Nahuel Huapi National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Hylamorpha elegans sightings: about 10% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Hylamorpha elegans is recorded against all the insects logged in Nahuel Huapi National Park (8 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.
