Cleora scriptaria
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
Cleora scriptaria, the kawakawa looper moth, is a moth in the family Geometridae. It is endemic to New Zealand. C. scriptaria was first described by Francis Walker in 1860 as Tephrosia scriptaria using specimens obtained from Major Parry.
The Kawakawa looper moth varies considerably in both colour and size during its adult stage of life. The coloration of the Kawakawa looper moth has many variations with the most common having yellow/ brown mottled forewings. Other variations include big yellow patches on darker coloured wings. Both male and female moths have unique spots located on the middle of their wings that range from black to white and cream. The sexes can be distinguished by the antennae like in most moths, with the males having feathered antennae and the females having filiform antennae. Distinguishing the gender of the moth can be determined by the feathered like antennae that occurs only in the males, whereas the female's antennae remain shorter and featherless. While the moth is feeding, the antenna can be seen in an uncoiled state which is helpful in distinguishing the moth from other related species. The body of adults ranges between 10... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Egmont National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 2 | Rakiura National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 3 | Abel Tasman National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 4 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auckland | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Kawakawa Looper sighting in Abel Tasman National Park on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 27th most-seen of the 64 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September–October and December
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Kawakawa Looper in Abel Tasman National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March, May–August and November, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Kawakawa Looper sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
3rd of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Kawakawa Looper sightings, Abel Tasman National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Egmont National Park (New Zealand, about 20%) and Rakiura National Park (New Zealand, about 10%).
Same family: Geometridae
The closest relatives of the Kawakawa Looper that you can see in Abel Tasman National Park (family Geometridae, Geometer Moths) are New Zealand Looper (about 10%), Native Cranberry Moth (about 10%) and Epyaxa lucidata (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Kawakawa Looper is recorded against all the insects logged in Abel Tasman National Park (8 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.
