Xanthopastis regnatrix
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Xanthopastis regnatrix, the Spanish moth or convict caterpillar, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It occurs in the United States, where it is found from North Carolina to Texas and south to Florida. Strays have been recorded as far north as coastal New York, and inland as far north as Kentucky. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Spanish Moth sighting in Big Cypress National Preserve on a given day, based on 24 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 42nd most-seen of the 262 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April and May
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Spanish Moth in Big Cypress National Preserve on a given day, against under 5% in June to November, the lowest months.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Spanish Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Spanish Moth sightings, Big Cypress National Preserve ranks 2nd at about 20%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Everglades National Park (United States, about 20%).
Same family: Noctuidae
The closest relatives of the Spanish Moth that you can see in Big Cypress National Preserve (family Noctuidae, Cutworm Moths and Allies) are Nebula Brown (about 10%), Abablemma brimleyana (about 10%) and Florida Fern Moth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Spanish Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Big Cypress National Preserve (24 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.
