Xanthodes transversa
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Xanthodes transversa, the transverse moth or hibiscus caterpillar, is a moth of the family Nolidae. The species was first described by Achille Guenée in 1852. It is found in India, Sri Lanka, the Andaman Islands, the Nicobar Islands, China, Hong Kong, Vanuatu, Java, New Guinea, Japan, the Ryukyu Islands, Singapore, Indonesia and Australia.
The wingspan of the female is 36 mm and male is 35–42 mm. Palpi reddish brown and porrect (extending forward). Head, thorax and abdomen bright canary yellow. Vertex of thorax rufous. Legs reddish brown. Tibia with long hairs. Forewings bright yellowish with distinct three brown arrow-shaped lines across each forewing. The caterpillars show remarkable color variations. A large bright rufous triangular patch is found over the whole outer area of the forewings. A black sub-apical speck visible. Cilia rufous. Hindwings reddish brown suffusion with rufous outer margin. The caterpillar is 35–40 mm in length.
It is a multivoltine moth species, where organism having more than two broods or generations per year. The caterpillar is a pest on several economically important crops such as Hibiscus mutabilis, Hibiscus heterophyllus, Hibiscus rosa... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Transverse Moth sighting in Brisbane on a given day, based on 24 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 434th 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 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January to March
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Transverse Moth in Brisbane on a given day, against under 5% in April to December, the lowest months. Those are among Brisbane's wettest months, with about 140 mm of rain a month against 40 mm in July.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Transverse 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.
2nd of 4
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Transverse Moth sightings, Brisbane ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Kochi (India, about 10%).
Same family: Nolidae
The closest relatives of the Transverse Moth that you can see in Brisbane (family Nolidae, Tufted Moths) are Nola elaphropasta (about 10%) and Nola squalida (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Transverse Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Brisbane (24 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.
