Tirathaba rufivena
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Tirathaba rufivena, the coconut spike moth, greater coconut spike moth or oil palm bunch moth, is a moth of the family Pyralidae. It is found from south-east Asia to the Pacific islands, including Malaysia, the Cook Islands, the Philippines and the tropical region of Queensland, Australia. They are considered as a minor pest.
Its wingspan is about 26–30 millimetres (1–1+1⁄4 in). More or less developed annuli at middle and end of the cell connected by a white streak, sometimes with a spot in base of cell also joined by the white streak. The inner margin, vein 1, the interno-median interspace and veins beyond lower angle of cell streaked with crimson. A dark marginal line. The hindwings are plain pale yellow or orange yellow.
The larvae are an agricultural pest that feeds on Cocos nucifera, Nypa fruticans, Elaeis guineensis, Musa species, and Phaseolus species. Usually the caterpillar attacks male flowers where infestation causes abortion of young and results in underdeveloped fruits. A severe attack can wilt the plant and delay plant development. They are not borers, and only show external feeding.
Biological control is the most... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brisbane | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Coconut Spike Moth sighting in Brisbane on a given day, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 575th most-seen of the 1083 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.
January
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Coconut Spike Moth in Brisbane on a given day, against under 5% in February to December, the lowest months. That is one of Brisbane's wettest months, with about 140 mm of rain against 40 mm in July.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Coconut Spike Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
Only Brisbane, in our data
Brisbane is the only city on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Coconut Spike Moth sightings: under 5% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Coconut Spike Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Brisbane (15 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.
