Phymatodes testaceus
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Phymatodes testaceus (commonly known as the tanbark borer, or the violet tanbark beetle) is a transpalearctic polymorphic species of beetle in the subfamily Cerambycinae in the longhorn beetle family. The P. testaceus imago is typically 6–16 mm in length. Their eggs are 1 mm long, and in athwart 0.5 mm. Larvae of the species are 10–18 mm long and 2.1 mm wide. Pupa are 9 mm long, and the abdomen is 2.8 mm wide.
Distribution of these beetle extends from the European Atlantic coastline to the Southern Ural Mountains, from southern Sweden and Norway to North Africa and Syria. It is also distributed throughout Japan and North America.
Larvae develop in and under the bark of various deciduous tree species, causing damage. Larvae pupate in the spring. The beetle's life cycle lasts one year in central and southern parts, and two years in northern climes. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 2 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 3 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kyiv | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | |
| 2 | Copenhagen | 🇩🇰 Denmark | |
| 3 | Essen | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 4 | Vienna | 🇦🇹 Austria | |
| 5 | Paris | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 6 | Amsterdam | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 7 | Lyon | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 8 | Porto | 🇵🇹 Portugal | |
| 9 | Birmingham | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 10 | Munich | 🇩🇪 Germany |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Tanbark Borer sighting in Wadden Sea National Park on a given day, based on 16 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 318th 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 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January, March and May–June
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Tanbark Borer in Wadden Sea National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February, April and July–December, the lowest months.
Between 6 and 9 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Tanbark Borer sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Tanbark Borer sightings, Wadden Sea National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Cévennes National Park (France, under 5%) and Pyrénées National Park (France, under 5%).
Same family: Cerambycidae
The closest relatives of the Tanbark Borer that you can see in Wadden Sea National Park (family Cerambycidae, Longhorn Beetles) are Red Pine Longhorn Beetle (about 10%), Wasp Beetle (about 10%) and Rust Pine Borer (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Tanbark Borer is recorded against all the insects logged in Wadden Sea National Park (16 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.
