Ischalis variabilis
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Ischalis variabilis, also known as oblique-waved fern looper, is a species of moth in the family Geometridae first described by William Warren in 1895. It is endemic to New Zealand, where it is widespread in the North and South islands.
This species was first described by William Warren in 1895 and originally named Polygonia variabilis. In 1970 Robert W. Poole placed this species in the genus Ischalis. There are two to three distinct transverse lines on the forewing. Adults have been recorded year round, except June on the North Island. The main flight period is September to March. There seem to be two generations per year, but may breed continuously during mild winters. The adult moths can be collected by beating the skirt of the dead fronds of their host species.
The eggs are usually deposited in January and February. The larvae have been recorded feeding on Cyathea and Dicksonia species including Cyathea smithii, Cyathea dealbata and Dicksonia squarrosa. Full-grown larvae are about 32 mm long. The larvae feed at night. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Egmont National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 2 | Abel Tasman National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 3 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auckland | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Oblique-Waved Fern Looper sighting in Auckland on a given day, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 425th most-seen of the 689 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January, June–July and October
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Oblique-Waved Fern Looper in Auckland on a given day, against under 5% in February–May, August–September and November–December, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Oblique-Waved Fern Looper sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
Only Auckland, in our data
Auckland is the only city on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Oblique-Waved Fern Looper sightings: under 5% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same family: Geometridae
The closest relatives of the Oblique-Waved Fern Looper that you can see in Auckland (family Geometridae, Geometer Moths) are Epyaxa lucidata (about 20%), Apple Looper (about 20%) and Cabbage Tree Moth (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Oblique-Waved Fern Looper is recorded against all the insects logged in Auckland (11 verified sightings), 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.
