Estigmene acrea
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%
Estigmene acrea, the salt marsh moth or acrea moth, is a moth in the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Dru Drury in 1773. It is found in North America, and southwards from Mexico to Colombia. The head and thorax are white, and the abdomen is yellow orange with a row of black spots. The forewing is white with a variable pattern of black spots, with some individuals lacking any spots. The hindwing is yellow orange in males and white in females. Both sexes have three or four black spots or blotches on the hindwings. The wingspan measures 4.5 to 6.8 cm (1.8 to 2.7 in).
This moth is generally seen from May to August, but it is seen all year in southern Florida and southern Texas. The yellowish eggs are laid in clusters on the host plant leaves. The larva, known as the salt marsh caterpillar, which grows to about 5 cm (2 in) in length, is highly variable in color, ranging from pale yellow to rusty orange brown to dark brownish black. It is hairy, with numerous soft setae, growing in tufts (several tufts on each segment), with a few individual hairs that are longer toward the end of the body. The thoracic and abdominal segments... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Padre Island National Seashore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Congaree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 6 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Tijuana | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 8 | Monterrey | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 9 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 10 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Salt Marsh Moth sighting in Channel Islands National Park on a given day, based on 95 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 2nd most-seen of the 131 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June
In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Salt Marsh Moth in Channel Islands National Park on a given day, against under 5% in November to February, the lowest months. That is one of Channel Islands National Park's driest months, with almost no rain against 60 mm in January.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Salt Marsh Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 8 parks where we can rate Salt Marsh Moth sightings, Channel Islands National Park has the highest daily chance: about 30%. Next come Padre Island National Seashore (United States, about 20%) and Shenandoah National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Erebidae
The closest relatives of the Salt Marsh Moth that you can see in Channel Islands National Park (family Erebidae, Underwing, Tiger, Tussock, and Allied Moths) are Lophocampa indistincta (about 30%), Painted Tiger Moth (about 20%) and Spotted Tussock Moth (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Salt Marsh Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Channel Islands National Park (95 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.
