Ichneutica mutans
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Ichneutica mutans, commonly known as the New Zealand cutworm or the grey-brown cutworm, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. This moth endemic to New Zealand and can be found throughout New Zealand, including from Three Kings Islands down to Stewart Island. However this species is not found in the Chatham Islands. The adult moths are on the wing all year round. I. mutans is variable in appearance and can be confused with similar species in the same genus. As a result of the variety of host species consumed by the larvae of the species, including such crops as turnips, wheat and apples, this species is regarded as an agricultural pest. However between the early 1960s and late 1980s the population of I. mutans was shown to have decreased significantly, by over 80%, at two study sites.
This species was first described by Francis Walker in 1857. The lectotype specimen is held at the Natural History Museum, London. The type locality of I. mutans is presumed by Robert Hoare to be Auckland. As a result of the variability in the appearance of I. mutans Walker, thinking he was describing new species, went on to describe it numerous times under the names Hadena lignifusca, Xylina... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rakiura National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 2 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 3 | Egmont National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 4 | Arthur's Pass National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 5 | Abel Tasman National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auckland | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a New Zealand Cutworm sighting in Abel Tasman National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 44th 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 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a New Zealand Cutworm in Abel Tasman National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February–September and December, the lowest months.
Between 10 pm and 1 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most New Zealand Cutworm 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.
5th of 5
Of the 5 parks where we can rate New Zealand Cutworm sightings, Abel Tasman National Park ranks 5th at about 10%. The best odds are in Rakiura National Park (New Zealand, about 30%), Fiordland National Park (New Zealand, about 20%) and Egmont National Park (New Zealand, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the New Zealand Cutworm is recorded against all the insects logged in Abel Tasman National Park (7 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.
