Eacles imperialis
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
Eacles imperialis, the imperial moth, is a member of the family Saturniidae and subfamily Ceratocampinae. It is found mainly in the East of South America and North America, from the center of Argentina to south Canada. The species was first described by Dru Drury in 1773.
The wingspan of an adult is between 80 and 175 mm (3+1⁄8 and 6+7⁄8 inches). There is a high amount of variation within this species. The colors of the adult are always primarily yellow with red, brown, and purple blotches but can vary distinctly on this. Light and dark morphs of this species are found in both the northern and southern regions of their range. Individuals from the northern regions of their native range may tend to have fewer dark markings. Larvae can be small (approximately 10–15 mm long) and orange with black transverse bands and large spines in the first instar, to 3–5.5 inches (75–100 mm) long in the fifth instar with long hairs and shorter spines and color morphs varying between dark brown and burgundy with white spiracle patches, and green with yellow spiracle patches.
Imperial moths (their many regional morphs, subspecies, and sibling species) range from Argentina... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Itatiaia National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | Palo Verde National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 3 | Santa Rosa National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 4 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Calakmul Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 7 | Braulio Carrillo National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 8 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 10 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 11 | Manu National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 12 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | La Amistad International Park (Panama) | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 14 | Parque Natural Metropolitano | 🇵🇦 Panama |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Campo Grande | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | Buenos Aires | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 3 | Montevideo | 🇺🇾 Uruguay | |
| 4 | Curitiba | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 5 | Porto Alegre | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 6 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Panama City | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 8 | Orlando | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Imperial Moth sighting in Buenos Aires on a given day, based on 290 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 34th most-seen of the 558 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March–April and November–December
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report an Imperial Moth in Buenos Aires on a given day, against under 5% in June and August–September, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Imperial Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Among the best
Of the 15 cities where we can rate Imperial Moth sightings, Buenos Aires ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Campo Grande (Brazil, about 10%).
Same family: Saturniidae
The closest relatives of the Imperial Moth that you can see in Buenos Aires (family Saturniidae, Emperor and Giant Silk Moths) are Automeris naranja (about 10%), Rothchild's Atlas Moth (about 10%) and Leucanella viridescens (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Imperial Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Buenos Aires (290 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.
