Green Dock Beetle

Green Dock Beetle

Gastrophysa viridula

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Wadden Sea National Park

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

6 Verified sightings at Wadden Sea National Park From 2019 to 2026
28 In all 3 parks
May Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Green Dock Beetle

Gastrophysa viridula, known as the green dock beetle (note: the similar Gastrophysa cyanea in North America is also called the green dock beetle), green dock leaf beetle or green sorrel beetle, is a species of beetle native to Europe.

The length of the green dock beetle varies between sexes, with the males being 4 mm and the females being 7 mm. During the mating season, females have enlarged abdomens. Both sexes are green with a metallic shimmer, which, depending on the light, can be gold green, blue, purple, violet, or red. The legs of this species also shimmer a metallic green, and are strongly built. The antennae are serrated and are medium in length.

Its range extends eastward into western Siberia and the Caucasus Mountains. They are found in heathlands, forests, meadows, and gardens with the presence of plant dock (Rumex), the beetles' food plant. The green dock beetle feeds mainly on dock and green sorrel, rarely feeding... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Snowdonia National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
2 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
3 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Manchester 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
2 Liverpool 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
3 Rotterdam [The Hague] 🇳🇱 Netherlands
~10%
4 Amsterdam 🇳🇱 Netherlands
~10%
5 Hamburg 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
6 Birmingham 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
7 London 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
8 Warsaw 🇵🇱 Poland
~10%
9 Minsk 🇧🇾 Belarus
<5%
10 Leeds 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Green Dock Beetle in Wadden Sea National Park?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Green Dock Beetle sighting in Wadden Sea National Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 630th most-seen of the 818 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Green Dock Beetle in Wadden Sea National Park?

March and May

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Green Dock Beetle in Wadden Sea National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April and June–February, the lowest months. Those are among Wadden Sea National Park's driest months, with about 50 mm of rain a month against 140 mm in November.

What time of day is best to see a Green Dock Beetle?

Between 4 and 7 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Green Dock 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.

Is Wadden Sea National Park the best place to see a Green Dock Beetle?

3rd of 3

Of the 3 parks where we can rate Green Dock Beetle sightings, Wadden Sea National Park ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Snowdonia National Park (United Kingdom, about 10%) and Bavarian Forest National Park (Germany, about 10%).

Where does the Green Dock Beetle sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Green Dock Beetle is recorded against all the insects logged in Wadden Sea National Park (6 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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