Melipotis jucunda
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
Melipotis jucunda, the merry melipotis moth, is a species of moth in the family Erebidae. It is found in Mexico (Yucatán, Mérida), Colombia, most of the United States, western Canada and northeast Brazil. The wingspan is 35–42 mm. There are two or three generations in New Jersey and multiple generations in the southern part of the range.
The larvae feed on Salix bonplandia and Salix wrighti, Acacia species and Calliandra eriophylla. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mesa | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Phoenix | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Torreón | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 5 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Las Vegas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Merry Graphic Moth sighting in Austin on a given day, based on 194 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 169th 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 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Merry Graphic Moth in Austin on a given day, against under 5% in November to February, the lowest months.
Between 9 pm and midnight
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Merry Graphic Moth 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.
Among the best
Of the 9 cities where we can rate Merry Graphic Moth sightings, Austin ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Mesa (United States, about 10%).
Same genus: Melipotis
The closest relatives of the Merry Graphic Moth that you can see in Austin (genus Melipotis) are Indomitable Graphic Moth (about 20%), Cellar Graphic (about 10%) and Royal Poinciana Graphic (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Merry Graphic Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Austin (194 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.
