Diabrotica undecimpunctata
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Diabrotica undecimpunctata, the spotted cucumber beetle or southern corn rootworm, is a species of cucumber beetle that is native to North America. The species can be a major agricultural pest insect in North America. Spotted cucumber beetles cause damage to crops in the larval and adult stages of their life cycle. Larvae feed on the roots of the emerging plants, which causes the most damage since the young plants are more vulnerable. In the adult stage the beetles cause damage by eating the flowers, leaves, stems, and fruits of the plant. The beetles can also spread diseases such as bacterial wilt and mosaic virus.
The three primary types of cucumber beetles are the spotted cucumber beetle, the banded cucumber beetle (Diabrotica balteata), and the striped cucumber beetle (Acalymma vittatum). In North America, the spotted and striped cucumber beetles are the most commonly encountered varieties.
The spotted cucumber beetle has three subspecies, each with a different common name: Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi – spotted cucumber beetle or southern corn rootworm Diabrotica undecimpunctata tenella – western cucumber beetle
Diabrotica undecimpunctata undecimpunctata... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Redwood National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Padre Island National Seashore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Detroit | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Portland | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Spotted Cucumber Beetle sighting in Padre Island National Seashore on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 58th most-seen of the 74 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March and December
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Spotted Cucumber Beetle in Padre Island National Seashore on a given day, against under 5% in January and April–November, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Spotted Cucumber 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.
5th of 10
Of the 10 parks where we can rate Spotted Cucumber Beetle sightings, Padre Island National Seashore ranks 5th at about 10%. The best odds are in Point Pelee National Park (Canada, about 20%), Shenandoah National Park (United States, about 20%) and Great Smoky Mountains National Park (United States, about 20%).
Same order: Coleoptera
The closest relatives of the Spotted Cucumber Beetle that you can see in Padre Island National Seashore (order Coleoptera, Beetles) are Phanaeus difformis (about 10%), Fringed Diving Beetle (about 10%) and Coastal Tiger Beetle (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Spotted Cucumber Beetle is recorded against all the insects logged in Padre Island National Seashore (5 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.
