Aedia leucomelas
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Aedia leucomelas, the eastern alchymist, sweet potato leaf worm or sorcerer, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in large parts of the world, ranging from Europe all over Asia up to Japan and some African countries. The subspecies Aedia leucomelas acronyctoides is found in Australia.
The wingspan is about 38 millimetres (1.5 in). Antennae of male almost simple. Forelegs of male lack scaly tufts and long fringes. Body fuscous. Thorax and forewings suffused with olive or white. Forewings with indistinct sub-basal and waved antemedial lines. There are traces of orbicular, reniform, and claviform spots. A postmedial double waved line slightly excurved beyond cell. Traces of an irregular sub-marginal lines present, along with a marginal black specks series. Hindwings pure white, where the inner margin fuscous suffused. Outer half of wings black with white patches at apex and anal angle. Ventral side of forewings with basal two thirds white, with spot at end of cell.
The moth flies from June to September depending on the location. The larvae mainly feed on Convolvulus species, including C. sepium, C. erubescens and C. arvensis, but also on Ipomoea pes-caprae,... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a The Sorcerer sighting in Blue Mountains National Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 611th most-seen of the 789 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February–April and November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a The Sorcerer in Blue Mountains National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May–October and December–January, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most The Sorcerer 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.
2nd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate The Sorcerer sightings, Blue Mountains National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Daintree National Park (Australia, about 10%).
Same family: Noctuidae
The closest relatives of the The Sorcerer that you can see in Blue Mountains National Park (family Noctuidae, Cutworm Moths and Allies) are Brown Cutworm (about 20%), Green-Blotched Moth (about 20%) and Bogong Moth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the The Sorcerer is recorded against all the insects logged in Blue Mountains National Park (6 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.
