Halysidota harrisii
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Halysidota harrisii, the sycamore tiger moth, is a moth belonging to the family Erebidae and the tribe Arctiini, the tiger moths. The species was first described by Benjamin Dann Walsh in 1864. It is found in southeastern Canada, the eastern parts of the United States, and northeastern Mexico.
The larvae have yellow-orange heads and bodies covered with hair, and they can grow to approximately 25–35 mm in length. They exhibit two pairs of long, orange hair-pencils and two pairs of white hair-pencils towards the front of their body. They also exhibit one pair of white hair-pencils near the back of their body.
The adults are pale yellow with dark bands on the forewings. Each forewing is 24–26 mm in length, making the wingspan approximately 50 mm. As adults, they are almost indistinguishable from the closely related Halysidota tesselaris.
The sycamore tiger moth produces two generations each year. Moths emerge from overwintering cocoons from May to June. After mating, they lay egg masses on bark and the underside of leaves. The larvae feed on the American sycamore tree, Platanus occidentalis. They pupate in late June and July, and emerge as moths in July... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Detroit | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Monterrey | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 10 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Sycamore Tussock Moth sighting in Austin on a given day, based on 16 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 929th most-seen of the 1624 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Sycamore Tussock Moth in Austin on a given day, against under 5% in June to April, the lowest months. That is one of Austin's wettest months, with about 110 mm of rain against 45 mm in February.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Sycamore Tussock Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
10th of 11
Of the 11 cities where we can rate Sycamore Tussock Moth sightings, Austin ranks 10th at under 5%. The best odds are in Detroit (United States, about 10%), Baltimore (United States, about 10%) and Philadelphia (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Erebidae
The closest relatives of the Sycamore Tussock Moth that you can see in Austin (family Erebidae, Underwing, Tiger, Tussock, and Allied Moths) are Green Cloverworm Moth (about 30%), Salt Marsh Moth (about 20%) and Indomitable Graphic Moth (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Sycamore Tussock Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Austin (16 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.
