Ctenucha virginica
In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%
Ctenucha virginica, the Virginia ctenucha, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Eugenius Johann Christoph Esper in 1794. The wingspan ranges from 40–50 millimetres (1.6–2.0 in). The wing color varies from black to olive brown. The body is a metallic blue green. The head is yellow orange, with feathery antennae. The caterpillar (about 20–25 mm) has multiple tufts of white and yellow hair. It undergoes metamorphosis in May–August.
It is endemic to eastern North America, from Newfoundland south to Virginia. According to the University of Alberta, there has been a westward expansion in the last 60 years as it has reached the Canadian Rockies and is now found in all Canadian provinces.
Larvae feed on a variety of host plants including various grasses, irises, and sedges. Adults drink nectar from flowers including goldenrod. Cisseps fulvicollis – yellow-collared scape moth Harrisina americana – grapeleaf skeletonizer Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elk Island National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Gros Morne National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Cape Breton Highlands National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Riding Mountain National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Edmonton | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Virginia Ctenucha Moth sighting in Cape Breton Highlands National Park on a given day, based on 34 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 5th most-seen of the 68 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
November
In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Virginia Ctenucha Moth in Cape Breton Highlands National Park on a given day, against about 10% in August–September and December–February, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Virginia Ctenucha Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 5
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Virginia Ctenucha Moth sightings, Cape Breton Highlands National Park ranks 3rd at about 30%. The best odds are in Elk Island National Park (Canada, about 50%) and Gros Morne National Park (Canada, about 40%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Erebidae
The closest relatives of the Virginia Ctenucha Moth that you can see in Cape Breton Highlands National Park (family Erebidae, Underwing, Tiger, Tussock, and Allied Moths) are Cinnabar Moth (about 20%), Isabella Tiger Moth (about 20%) and Banded Tussock Moth (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Virginia Ctenucha Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Cape Breton Highlands National Park (34 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.
