Melacoryphus lateralis
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Melacoryphus lateralis pronounced (mela-co-riff-is ladder-a-lis) a species of Hemiptera, or true bug one of several called black-and-red seed bug. Black and fringed with red and gray, some call it the charcoal seed bug, due to its resemblance to a dying ember. Native to the deserts of western North America, they have a tendency to appear in large numbers in the late summer. The Melacoryphus lateralis are close relatives of the small milkweed bug, another black-and-orange insect and are also very durable being able to survive being stomped on. Body sizes range from 0.06 inches (1.5 mm) up to 0.47 inches (12 mm). Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zion National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mesa | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Denver | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Phoenix | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 6 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Charcoal Seed Bug sighting in Zion National Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 75th most-seen of the 114 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May to August
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Charcoal Seed Bug in Zion National Park on a given day, against under 5% in September to April, the lowest months. Those are among Zion National Park's driest months, with about 20 mm of rain a month against 75 mm in March.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Charcoal Seed Bug sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
Yes
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Charcoal Seed Bug sightings, Zion National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Saguaro National Park (United States, about 10%) and Big Bend National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Lygaeidae
The closest relatives of the Charcoal Seed Bug that you can see in Zion National Park (family Lygaeidae, Seed Bugs) are Small Milkweed Bug (about 10%) and Large Milkweed Bug (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Charcoal Seed Bug is recorded against all the insects logged in Zion 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.
