Symmetrischema tangolias
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The South American potato tuber moth, Andean potato tuber moth or tomato stemborer (Symmetrischema tangolias) is a moth of the family Gelechiidae. It is native to South America, but has become a pest worldwide. Records include North America, Australia and New Zealand.
Tomato stemborer eggs are shaped oval and have a size of 0.7 x 0.4 mm for a freshly laid egg. The colouration changes to orange-yellow when the eggs start to develop and turn to dark gray before hatching. However, there is not much known about the caterpillar stage on tomato stemborer. Adult moths typically lay their eggs on invaded plants during nighttime. The larva is typically slender and cylindrical with pinkish, dark head capsule and segments are distinct; caterpillar has small, bristle-like structures on its body. The pupal stage occurs within a cocoon, with dark brown colouration encased in a protective shell.
The adult moth has distinctive black triangle patches along the lateral margins of its forewings, giving it a brownish-gray (silver-gray) appearance. The forewing margins are rimmed with hairs. Pale-coloured scales encircle the hindwings, which are narrower and shorter than the forewings... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
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 Tomato Stemborer sighting in Auckland on a given day, based on 35 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–April
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Tomato Stemborer in Auckland on a given day, against under 5% in May and August–September, the lowest months.
Only Auckland, in our data
Auckland is the only city on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Tomato Stemborer sightings: about 10% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Tomato Stemborer is recorded against all the insects logged in Auckland (35 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.
