Proteuxoa tetronycha
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Proteuxoa tetronycha is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic, and can be found throughout, New Zealand. This species was previously muddled up with the rarer Proteuxoa comma and is very similar in appearance to that other species. P. tetronycha can be distinguished from P. comma by the paler colour of its prothorax as well as the browner base colour of its forewings. P. tetronycha is also a smaller moth with the wingspan of the adults of this species being between 29 and 33 mm. There are also differences between the females of these two species. For the females of P. tetronycha, their ovipositor (the tubular organ through which the female moth lays her eggs) is lacking the spiny hair like structures that are present on the ovipositor of P. comma. Larvae likely feed on a variety of host species and have been raised on Acaena species as well as Poa cita. The adults of this species are on the wing from September to March and are attracted to light.
This species was first described by Robert J. B. Hoare in 2017. This species was previously muddled up with the rarer P. comma. The female holotype was collected at Taupō by J. S. Armstrong and is held in the New Zealand... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rakiura National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 2 | Arthur's Pass National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 3 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Proteuxoa tetronycha sighting in Arthur's Pass National Park on a given day, based on 8 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.
November to January
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Proteuxoa tetronycha in Arthur's Pass National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February to October, the lowest months.
Between 10 pm and 1 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Proteuxoa tetronycha sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
2nd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Proteuxoa tetronycha sightings, Arthur's Pass National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Rakiura National Park (New Zealand, about 20%).
Same family: Noctuidae
The closest relatives of the Proteuxoa tetronycha that you can see in Arthur's Pass National Park (family Noctuidae, Cutworm Moths and Allies) are Ichneutica propria (about 20%), Physetica caerulea (about 10%) and Ichneutica atristriga (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Proteuxoa tetronycha is recorded against all the insects logged in Arthur's Pass 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.
