Xanthodes transversa
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Xanthodes transversa, the transverse moth or hibiscus caterpillar, is a moth of the family Nolidae. The species was first described by Achille Guenée in 1852. It is found in India, Sri Lanka, the Andaman Islands, the Nicobar Islands, China, Hong Kong, Vanuatu, Java, New Guinea, Japan, the Ryukyu Islands, Singapore, Indonesia and Australia.
The wingspan of the female is 36 mm and male is 35–42 mm. Palpi reddish brown and porrect (extending forward). Head, thorax and abdomen bright canary yellow. Vertex of thorax rufous. Legs reddish brown. Tibia with long hairs. Forewings bright yellowish with distinct three brown arrow-shaped lines across each forewing. The caterpillars show remarkable color variations. A large bright rufous triangular patch is found over the whole outer area of the forewings. A black sub-apical speck visible. Cilia rufous. Hindwings reddish brown suffusion with rufous outer margin. The caterpillar is 35–40 mm in length.
It is a multivoltine moth species, where organism having more than two broods or generations per year. The caterpillar is a pest on several economically important crops such as Hibiscus mutabilis, Hibiscus heterophyllus, Hibiscus rosa... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Transverse Moth 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 and April–May
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Transverse Moth in Blue Mountains National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March and June–January, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Transverse Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Transverse Moth sightings, Blue Mountains National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Daintree National Park (Australia, about 10%).
Same family: Nolidae
The closest relatives of the Transverse Moth that you can see in Blue Mountains National Park (family Nolidae, Tufted Moths) are Patched Tuft Moth (about 10%), Etanna clopaea (about 10%) and Calathusa basicunea (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Transverse Moth 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.
