Dichromodes niger
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Dichromodes niger (also known as the alpine lichen looper) is a moth of the family Geometridae. It was described by Arthur Gardiner Butler in 1877. This species is endemic to New Zealand and can be found in the lower part of the South Island and upper half of the North Island. It inhabits rocky sites or forest clearings. The larvae feed on lichen. Adults are day flying, are rapid fliers, and are on the wing from November until January.
This species was first described by Arthur Gardiner Butler in 1877 using a male specimen collected at Castle Hill by J. D. Enys and named Cacopsodos niger. In 1888 Edward Meyrick place this species within the genus Dichromodes and discussed this species using the name Dichromodes nigra. He compared it to the newly described D. gypsotis stating that D. niger was "markedly larger, blackish, without any white suffusion, the markings obsoletely darker." George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species under the name Cacopsodes nigra in both his 1898 book New Zealand moths and butterflies (Macro-lepidoptera) and his 1928 book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand. In 1988 J. S. Dugdale stated that the species name was Dichromodes niger... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arthur's Pass National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
More parks will be added in future updates.
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Alpine Lichen Looper sighting in Arthur's Pass National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 48th most-seen of the 60 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 an Alpine Lichen Looper in Arthur's Pass National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March to November, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Alpine Lichen Looper sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Only Arthur's Pass National Park, in our data
Arthur's Pass National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Alpine Lichen Looper sightings: about 10% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same family: Geometridae
The closest relatives of the Alpine Lichen Looper that you can see in Arthur's Pass National Park (family Geometridae, Geometer Moths) are Orange Underwing (about 20%), Forest Semilooper (about 10%) and Large Striped Carpet (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Alpine Lichen Looper is recorded against all the insects logged in Arthur's Pass 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.
