Plutella xylostella
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella), sometimes called the cabbage moth, is a moth species of the family Plutellidae and genus Plutella. The small, grayish-brown moth sometimes has a cream-colored band that forms a diamond along its back. The species may have originated in Europe, South Africa, or the Mediterranean region, but it has now spread worldwide.
The moth has a short life cycle (14 days at 25 °C), is highly fecund, and is capable of migrating long distances. Diamondback moths are considered pests as they feed on the leaves of cruciferous crops and plants that produce glucosinolates. However, not all of these plants are equally useful as hosts to the moth. Because of this, studies have suggested using wintercress as a trap crop around agricultural fields because diamondback moths are highly attracted to that plant but their larvae fail to survive when eggs are laid on it.
Originally, pesticides were used to kill the moths but diamondbacks have developed resistance to many of the common chemicals. For this reason, new biological and chemical controls, as well as different planting methods, are being pursued to reduce the destruction caused by the moths. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rakiura National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 2 | Kanha National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 3 | Guadalupe Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Sierra Nevada National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 5 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 6 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 8 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 9 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 10 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 11 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 12 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 13 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 14 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Diamondback Moth sighting in Addo Elephant National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 164th most-seen of the 198 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.
March–April, July and October
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Diamondback Moth in Addo Elephant National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May–June, August–September and November–February, the lowest months.
Between 9 pm and midnight
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Diamondback Moth 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.
10th of 14
Of the 14 parks where we can rate Diamondback Moth sightings, Addo Elephant National Park ranks 10th at about 10%. The best odds are in Rakiura National Park (New Zealand, about 20%), Kanha National Park (India, about 10%) and Guadalupe Mountains National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same order: Lepidoptera
The closest relatives of the Diamondback Moth that you can see in Addo Elephant National Park (order Lepidoptera, Butterflies and Moths) are Round-Winged Orange Tip (about 20%), African Small White (about 20%) and Citrus Swallowtail (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Diamondback Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Addo Elephant National Park (5 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.
