Berberomeloe majalis
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Berberomeloe majalis, the red-striped oil beetle, is an insect in the genus Berberomeloe, in the family of Blister Beetles. It is native to the western Mediterranean Basin. It has a typical length around 5 cm (2 in.). Its large size and the bright red bands around its body make it unmistakable; its coloration is aposematic, reflecting its ability, in common with other oil or blister beetles in the family Meloidae, to squirt a caustic liquid if attacked. In Spain however this beetle varies extensively in color. Populations of entirely black specimens without any red markings are found scattered over much of the distribution range of B. majalis. These populations are often found close to populations consisting of red-striped specimens, but both morphs seem to be spatially segregated and no mixed series have been found in the field. Entirely black and red-striped specimens of Berberomeloe majalis are equally poisonous.
The red-striped oil beetle is found in dry places in Portugal and the Mediterranean regions of Spain and North Africa, from Morocco to Tunisia. They live in sunny, dry places, either in open grassland in woodland with light... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Red-Striped Oil Beetle sighting in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 325th most-seen of the 597 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.
April to June
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Red-Striped Oil Beetle in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July to March, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Red-Striped Oil 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.
Only Sierra de Guadarrama National Park, in our data
Sierra de Guadarrama National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Red-Striped Oil Beetle sightings: under 5% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same family: Meloidae
The closest relatives of the Red-Striped Oil Beetle that you can see in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park (family Meloidae, Blister Beetles) are Physomeloe corallifer (about 20%), Spanish Fly (about 10%) and Four-Spotted Blisterbeetle (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Red-Striped Oil Beetle is recorded against all the insects logged in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park (10 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.
