Phaeoura quernaria
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Phaeoura quernaria, the oak beauty, is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by James Edward Smith in 1797. It is found in eastern North America, occurring as far west as east-central Alberta. The habitat consists of aspen-cherry shrubland.
The wingspan is 37–56 mm. Adults are on wing from February to October in the southern part of the range, where two generations per year occur. The larvae feed on various hardwood trees, including Betula papyrifera, Salix, Populus and Prunus species. They are grey to brown or greenish. Larvae can be found from June to October. The species overwinters in the pupal stage. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an American Oak Beauty sighting in Austin on a given day, based on 127 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 270th most-seen of the 1624 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.
March
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report an American Oak Beauty in Austin on a given day, against under 5% in April to January, the lowest months.
Between midnight and 3 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most American Oak Beauty sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
Yes
Of the 6 cities where we can rate American Oak Beauty sightings, Austin has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Dallas (United States, under 5%) and Houston (United States, under 5%).
Same family: Geometridae
The closest relatives of the American Oak Beauty that you can see in Austin (family Geometridae, Geometer Moths) are Pannaria Wave (about 10%), Brown-Shaded Gray (about 10%) and Bent-Lined Carpet (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the American Oak Beauty is recorded against all the insects logged in Austin (127 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.
