Ethmia discostrigella
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Ethmia discostrigella, the mountain-mahogany moth, is a moth in the family Depressariidae. It is found from the western United States, south into Mexico. The length of the forewings is 10.4–14.7 mm (0.41–0.58 in). The ground color of the forewings is dark gray, overlaid with scattered whitish scales. The ground color of the hindwings is pale gray, becoming whitish ocherous toward the anal area. Adults of the nominate subspecies are on wing from April to September in multiple generations per year in the south. Subspecies subcaerulea is on wing from March to September, also in multiple generations.
The larvae of subspecies discostrigella feed on Cercocarpus ledifolius and probably other Cercocarpus species. The larvae of subspecies subcaerulea feed on Cercocarpus betuloides and Cercocarpus minutifloru. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guadalupe Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Mountain-Mahogany Moth sighting in Big Bend National Park on a given day, based on 18 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 108th most-seen of the 329 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.
September
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Mountain-Mahogany Moth in Big Bend National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April–May and October–February, 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 10 pm and 1 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Mountain-Mahogany Moth sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
Among the best
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Mountain-Mahogany 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 order: Lepidoptera
The closest relatives of the Mountain-Mahogany Moth that you can see in Big Bend National Park (order Lepidoptera, Butterflies and Moths) are Empress Leilia (about 40%), Sleepy Orange (about 30%) and Reakirt's Blue (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Mountain-Mahogany Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Big Bend National Park (18 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.
