Epalxiphora axenana
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Epalxiphora axenana, the brindled bell or sharp-tipped bell moth, is a species of moth of the family Tortricidae. It was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1881. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found throughout the North Island and in the South Island districts of Nelson, Buller and Westland. This species is strongly sexually dimorphic and has unusually shaped forewings which can assist with identification. Adults are variable in appearance. This species inhabits native forest with larvae feeding on a range of native shrubs as well as citrus species. Adults are on the wing throughout the year but are most frequently observed during New Zealand summer months. They are nocturnal and are attracted to light.
E. axenana was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1881 using one specimen taken at rest on a tree trunk near Wellington in January. In 1905 Ambrose Quail published a detailed life history of this species. George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species in his 1928 book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand. The female holotype is held at the Natural History Museum, London. John S. Dugdale points out that the female holotype has attached to it via glue... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Egmont National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auckland | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Sharp-Tipped Bell Moth sighting in Auckland on a given day, based on 38 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 188th most-seen of the 689 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June–July and October–March
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Sharp-Tipped Bell Moth in Auckland on a given day, against under 5% in April–May and August–September, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Sharp-Tipped Bell Moth sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all 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 Sharp-Tipped Bell Moth sightings: about 10% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same family: Tortricidae
The closest relatives of the Sharp-Tipped Bell Moth that you can see in Auckland (family Tortricidae, Tortricid Leafroller Moths) are Orange Fruit Borer (about 20%), Capua intractana (about 20%) and Light Brown Apple Moth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Sharp-Tipped Bell Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Auckland (38 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.
