Mythimna unipuncta
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Mythimna unipuncta, the true armyworm moth, white-speck moth, common armyworm, or rice armyworm, is a species of moth in the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Adrian Hardy Haworth in 1809. Mythimna unipuncta occurs in most of North America south of the Arctic, as well as parts of South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Although thought to be Neotropical in origin, it has been introduced elsewhere, and is often regarded as an agricultural pest. They are known as armyworms because the caterpillars move in lines as a massive group, like an army, from field to field, damaging crops.
The true armyworm has a distinct migration pattern in which they travel north in the spring and south in the fall to ensure that mating occurs in a favorable environment in the summer. While progressing through the life cycle stages of egg, larva, pupa, and adult, this species must avoid attack from predatory bugs, birds, wasp and fly parasitoids, and bacterial and fungal diseases. As polygamous insects, females release sex pheromones and choose multiple males as mates. The production and release of the pheromones are influenced by temperature, photoperiod, and the juvenile hormone. Hearing is an important sense for the true armyworm, necessary for mating and evading bat predation. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guadalupe Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 4 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 6 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 7 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Porto | 🇵🇹 Portugal | |
| 2 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Turin | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 4 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Sacramento | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Puebla | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 10 | Milan | 🇮🇹 Italy |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Armyworm Moth sighting in Big Bend National Park on a given day, based on 17 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 131st most-seen of the 329 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report an Armyworm Moth in Big Bend National Park on a given day, against under 5% in December to June, the lowest months. That is one of Big Bend National Park's wettest months, with about 50 mm of rain against 10 mm in April.
Between 9 pm and midnight
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Armyworm Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
Among the best
Of the 8 parks where we can rate Armyworm Moth sightings, Big Bend National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Guadalupe Mountains National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Noctuidae
The closest relatives of the Armyworm Moth that you can see in Big Bend National Park (family Noctuidae, Cutworm Moths and Allies) are Acontia cuta (about 10%), Staghorn Cholla Moth (about 10%) and Pretty Bird-Dropping Moth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Armyworm Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Big Bend National Park (17 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.
