Phoberia atomaris
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Phoberia atomaris, the common oak moth, is a species of moth in the family Erebidae. The species is found in North America, from Quebec and Ontario south to Florida, and west to Kansas and Texas. The wingspan is about 38 mm. Adults are on wing from March to July depending on the location.
The larvae feed on Oak species, including Northern red oak. The species is univoltine, with most defoliation occurring during the spring. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Common Oak Moth sighting in Boston on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 1063rd most-seen of the 1200 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.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Common Oak Moth in Boston on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Oak Moth 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.
6th of 6
Of the 6 cities where we can rate Common Oak Moth sightings, Boston ranks 6th at under 5%. The best odds are in Austin (United States, about 10%), Dallas (United States, about 10%) and San Antonio (United States, under 5%).
Same family: Erebidae
The closest relatives of the Common Oak Moth that you can see in Boston (family Erebidae, Underwing, Tiger, Tussock, and Allied Moths) are Isabella Tiger Moth (about 20%), Virginian Tiger Moth (about 10%) and Green Cloverworm Moth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Common Oak Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Boston (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.
