Oxythyrea funesta
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Oxythyrea funesta is a phytophagous beetle species belonging to the family Cetoniidae, subfamily Cetoniinae. Its common name is "white spotted rose beetle". This beetle is present in most of Europe, in the west Palearctic realm, and in the Near East. It is not present in North or South America.
Larvae are 16-22 mm long. They feed on dung, rotten wood, litter and soil and can remain until next spring in the soil. The adults appear early in the spring, they grow up to 8–12 millimetres (0.31–0.47 in) and can mostly be encountered from May through July. They can be considered a pest since they feed not only on pollen, but also on floral organs, especially those in light colors.
Their colour is black, more or less bronzed. Most of the specimens show six white spots in two longitudinal rows on the pronotum and many others on the elytra. They are completely covered with white pubescence (easily visible in profile). Older specimens usually have no hairs, as they are rubbed off with time.
The larva lives in the soil and feeds on plant roots, etc. When hatched, it is 4–5 mm long, quite dark blue and with minimal hair, which distinguishes it from other species... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Triglav National Park | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | |
| 2 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 3 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 4 | Sierra Nevada National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 5 | Kiskunság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 6 | Monfragüe National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 7 | Vanoise National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 8 | Białowieża National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 9 | Doñana National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 10 | Fertő-Hanság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 11 | Aigüestortes National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 12 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 13 | Camargue | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 14 | Ecrins National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 15 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Mediterranean Spotted Chafer sighting in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park on a given day, based on 42 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 86th most-seen of the 597 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May and June
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Mediterranean Spotted Chafer in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park on a given day, against under 5% in August to March, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Mediterranean Spotted Chafer sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
15th of 15
Of the 15 parks where we can rate Mediterranean Spotted Chafer sightings, Sierra de Guadarrama National Park ranks 15th at about 10%. The best odds are in Triglav National Park (Slovenia, about 20%), Bavarian Forest National Park (Germany, about 20%) and Cévennes National Park (France, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Mediterranean Spotted Chafer is recorded against all the insects logged in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park (42 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.
