Xyridacma ustaria
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Xyridacma ustaria is a moth of the family Geometridae. It was first described by Francis Walker in 1863 from specimens obtained in Auckland. It is endemic to New Zealand. X. ustaria has been found on Codfish Island in May with larvae recorded on Pittosporum tenuifolium. It has also been found at Paroa in February as well as in Canterbury. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rakiura National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 2 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auckland | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Tarata Looper sighting in Auckland on a given day, based on 75 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 92nd most-seen of the 689 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Tarata Looper in Auckland on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 6 and 9 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Tarata Looper sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
Only Auckland, in our data
Auckland is the only city on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Tarata Looper sightings: about 10% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same family: Geometridae
The closest relatives of the Tarata 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 Tarata Looper is recorded against all the insects logged in Auckland (75 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.
