Hygraula nitens
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Hygraula nitens, the pond moth or Australian water moth, is a species of moth in the family Crambidae. It was described by Arthur Gardiner Butler in 1880. It is found in New Zealand and most of Australia, including Tasmania.
The wingspan is about 25 mm. The caterpillars of this species live underwater. The larvae feed on Potamogeton crispus and Zostera species. They also feed on other alien macrophytes such as Hydrilla verticillata, Lagarosiphon major, and Ceratophyllum demersum. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 2 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Pond Moth sighting in Brisbane on a given day, based on 14 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.
September
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Pond Moth in Brisbane on a given day, against under 5% in October to August, the lowest months. That is one of Brisbane's driest months, with about 40 mm of rain against 160 mm in February.
Between 9 pm and midnight
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Pond Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
4th of 5
Of the 5 cities where we can rate Pond Moth sightings, Brisbane ranks 4th at under 5%. The best odds are in Auckland (New Zealand, about 10%), Perth (Australia, about 10%) and Melbourne (Australia, under 5%).
Same family: Crambidae
The closest relatives of the Pond Moth that you can see in Brisbane (family Crambidae, Crambid Snout Moths) are Grass Webworm Moth (about 20%), Hawaiian Beet Webworm Moth (about 10%) and Culladia cuneiferellus (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Pond Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Brisbane (14 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.
