Naroma varipes
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Naroma varipes, the fig tree moth, is a moth in the subfamily Lymantriinae. The species was first described by Francis Walker in 1865. It is native to tropical and southern Africa. Its larval food plants include the fig species Ficus thonningii, F. sur and F. natalensis. They have white hindwings and creamy white forewings that are marked with a row of dark dots. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Fig Tree Moth sighting in Cape Town on a given day, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 174th most-seen of the 311 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 Fig Tree Moth in Cape Town on a given day, against under 5% in October to August, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Fig Tree Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Fig Tree Moth sightings, Cape Town ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Lusaka (Zambia, about 10%).
Same family: Erebidae
The closest relatives of the Fig Tree Moth that you can see in Cape Town (family Erebidae, Underwing, Tiger, Tussock, and Allied Moths) are Brown Tricolour Tiger Moth (about 20%), Heady Maiden (about 20%) and Zebra Ermine (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Fig Tree Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Cape Town (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.
