Autographa californica
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
Autographa californica, the alfalfa looper, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Adolph Speyer in 1875. It is found in western North America from southern British Columbia to Baja California and to Manitoba, South Dakota, Colorado and New Mexico.
The wingspan is 36–42 mm. The moth flies from July to October depending on the location. The larvae feed on a wide range of plants. Recorded food plants include species of families Apiaceae, Aquifoliaceae, Asteraceae, Boraginaceae, Brassicaceae, Caprifoliaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Ericaceae, Eschscholzia, Fabaceae, Grossulariaceae, Liliaceae, Lamiaceae, Linaceae, Malvaceae, Plantaginaceae, Poaceae, Podocarpaceae, Polygonaceae, Rhamnaceae, Rosaceae, Rutaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Solanaceae and Verbenaceae. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Banff National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Jasper National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Glacier National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Grand Teton National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Olympic National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Calgary | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Edmonton | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Sacramento | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Portland | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Salt Lake City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Vancouver | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | Las Vegas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Seattle | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report an Alfalfa Looper sighting in Banff National Park on a given day, based on 86 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 4th most-seen of the 105 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report an Alfalfa Looper in Banff National Park on a given day, against under 5% in November to June, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Alfalfa 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.
Yes
Of the 8 parks where we can rate Alfalfa Looper sightings, Banff National Park has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Jasper National Park (Canada, about 10%) and Death Valley National Park (United States, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Alfalfa Looper is recorded against all the insects logged in Banff National Park (86 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.
