Phyllocnistis populiella
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
Phyllocnistis populiella, the common aspen leaf miner or aspen serpentine leafminer, is a moth of the family Gracillariidae. It is found in northern North America, including Alberta, Massachusetts, Ontario and Alaska. The larvae feed on Populus tremuloides and balsam poplar.
Insects of Alberta Bug Guide Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denali National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Kluane National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Isle Royale National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Jasper National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Banff National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 6 | Cape Breton Highlands National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | Elk Island National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 8 | Glacier National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Aspen Serpentine Leafminer Moth sighting in Banff National Park on a given day, based on 30 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 25th most-seen of the 105 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report an Aspen Serpentine Leafminer Moth in Banff National Park on a given day, against under 5% in October to May, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Aspen Serpentine Leafminer Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
5th of 9
Of the 9 parks where we can rate Aspen Serpentine Leafminer Moth sightings, Banff National Park ranks 5th at about 10%. The best odds are in Denali National Park (United States, about 40%), Kluane National Park (Canada, about 20%) and Isle Royale National Park (United States, about 20%).
Same order: Lepidoptera
The closest relatives of the Aspen Serpentine Leafminer Moth that you can see in Banff National Park (order Lepidoptera, Butterflies and Moths) are Pearl Crescent (about 30%), Alfalfa Looper (about 20%) and Milbert's Tortoiseshell (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Aspen Serpentine Leafminer Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Banff National Park (30 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.
