Castnia licus
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Telchin licus, the banana stem borer, is a moth of the Castniidae family. It is native to South America, where it is found from Colombia, Venezuela and the Guianas, throughout the Amazon basin in Brazil and Peru. It has also been recorded as an introduced species in Hawaii.
The length of the forewings is 64–80 mm. The larvae feed on Saccharum officinarum, Musa, Heliconia and Ichnosiphon species. It is considered a pest species. Young larvae make a small cavity and then tunnel into the heart of the cane of the host plant. They tunnel upwards and downwards, and create a shelter in the rootstock where they rest. Pupation takes place in the rootstock or at the base of the cane. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manu National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 2 | Tambopata National Reserve | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 3 | Arenal Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Castnia licus sighting in Belém on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 15th most-seen of the 26 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Castnia licus in Belém on a given day, against under 5% in February–May, September and November–December, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Castnia licus sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 3
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Castnia licus sightings, Belém ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Recife (Brazil, about 20%).
Same order: Lepidoptera
The closest relatives of the Castnia licus that you can see in Belém (order Lepidoptera, Butterflies and Moths) are Julia Heliconian (about 30%), White Peacock (about 30%) and Orangetip Angled-Sulphur (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Castnia licus is recorded against all the insects logged in Belém (5 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.
