Doratifera vulnerans
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Doratifera vulnerans, commonly known as the mottled cup moth, Australian cup moth or Chinese Junk (referring to its caterpillar), is a species of cup moth of the family Limacodidae. The species was first described by John Lewin in 1805 and is the type species of the genus Doratifera. It is found in Australia. It is known for its caterpillar having unique stinging spines or hairs that contain toxins, for which the scientific name is given that means "bearer of gifts of wounds". Chemical and genetic analysis in 2021 show that its caterpillar contains 151 toxins, some of which have medicinal properties.
D. vulnerans is a small moth having a characteristic rust-coloured (ferruginous) body. The head region surrounding the antennae are white. It has two pairs of legs, and the two fore legs have white bands. The leg hairs, palpi, are white at the tip and brown at the base. The two fore wings are hairy with shiny rust colour and silvery margins. Two hind wings are dull white with the edges slightly whitish. The main body is entirely light brown. Males and females are very similar except that males are slightly smaller. Males measure 2 cm while females can be up to 5 cm across... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Mottled Cup Moth sighting in Brisbane on a given day, based on 18 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 504th 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.
February–March and December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Mottled Cup Moth in Brisbane on a given day, against under 5% in January and April–November, the lowest months. Those are among Brisbane's wettest months, with about 140 mm of rain a month against 40 mm in July.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Mottled Cup Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 3
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Mottled Cup Moth sightings, Brisbane ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Melbourne (Australia, about 10%) and Sydney (Australia, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Mottled Cup Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Brisbane (18 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.
