Ichneutica propria
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Ichneutica propria is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. This species is only known from Tongariro National Park and Pureora Forest in the North Island but is widespread in the South Island. I. propria might be confused with faded I. atristriga, however the later species lacks the distinctive marking on the prothorax nor does it have the black mark running through the middle of the forewing. It is very common and widespread in montane to alpine grassland areas. Although the larvae have yet to be described, they have been reared on Poa cita and Festuca novae-zelandiae and are known to feed on introduced grass species. The adults of this species are on the wing from December to mid May and are attracted to light.
This species was first described by Francis Walker in 1856 and named Leucania propria. The male holotype was collected at Waikouaiti near Dunedin by Mr Percy Earl and is in the collection at the Natural History Museum, London. In 1988, J. S. Dugdale in his catalogue on New Zealand Lepidoptera, placed this species within the Tmetolophota genus. In 2019 Robert Hoare undertook a major review of New Zealand Noctuidae. During this review the... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arthur's Pass National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 2 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report an Ichneutica propria sighting in Arthur's Pass National Park on a given day, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 15th most-seen of the 60 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March and April
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report an Ichneutica propria in Arthur's Pass National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May–October and December–January, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Ichneutica propria sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Ichneutica propria sightings, Arthur's Pass National Park has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Fiordland National Park (New Zealand, about 10%).
Same genus: Ichneutica
The closest relatives of the Ichneutica propria that you can see in Arthur's Pass National Park (genus Ichneutica) are Ichneutica atristriga (about 10%), New Zealand Cutworm (about 10%) and Ichneutica agorastis (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Ichneutica propria is recorded against all the insects logged in Arthur's Pass National Park (11 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.
