Great Capricorn Beetle

Great Capricorn Beetle

Cerambyx cerdo

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Pyrénées National Park

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%

9 Verified sightings at Pyrénées National Park From 2019 to 2026
72 In all 2 parks
June Best month
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted

About the Great Capricorn Beetle

Cerambyx cerdo, commonly known as the great capricorn beetle or cerambyx longicorn, is a species of beetle in family Cerambycidae. It occurs in North Africa (Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia), Europe (Austria, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, North Macedonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Moldova, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Ukraine), and West Asia (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, and Turkey).

The beetle was previously present in the United Kingdom but went locally extinct at least hundreds of years ago. Preserved specimens have been found in the UK, having been dated to around 4000 years old. It has been recorded in the UK since, but this is believed to be because of accidental human introduction due to wood transport.

This beetle measures between 41 and 55 mm in body length and is among the largest of the European beetle species. It has an elongated, robust body and, like all members of the longhorn family, it has long antennae. In males, these thread-like antennae are longer than the body, but in females they are only as long as the hard wing cases (the elytra). The legs and body... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
~20%
2 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Warsaw 🇵🇱 Poland
<5%
2 Paris 🇫🇷 France
<5%
3 Porto 🇵🇹 Portugal
<5%
4 Vienna 🇦🇹 Austria
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Great Capricorn Beetle in Pyrénées National Park?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Great Capricorn Beetle sighting in Pyrénées National Park on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 806th most-seen of the 1277 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.

When is the best time to see a Great Capricorn Beetle in Pyrénées National Park?

June and July

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Great Capricorn Beetle in Pyrénées National Park on a given day, against under 5% in August to May, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Great Capricorn Beetle?

Between 7 and 10 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Great Capricorn Beetle sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.

Is Pyrénées National Park the best place to see a Great Capricorn Beetle?

2nd of 2

Of the 2 parks where we can rate Great Capricorn Beetle sightings, Pyrénées National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Cévennes National Park (France, about 20%).

Where does the Great Capricorn Beetle sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Great Capricorn Beetle is recorded against all the insects logged in Pyrénées 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.

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