Sphenarches anisodactylus
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Sphenarches anisodactylus, commonly known as the geranium plume moth or fire-flag plume moth, is a species of moth in the family Pterophoridae. It is found in western Africa, Madagascar, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Japan, the New Hebrides and Central and South America, as well as Australia, where it has been recorded from Cape York to central New South Wales. It is found in the United States, where it has been recorded from Florida, as well as Mississippi. It is also present in the Kermadec Islands of New Zealand.
The wingspan is about 10 millimetres (0.39 in). The larvae feed on flower buds and flowers of Dolichos lablab, Lagenaria, Pelargonium and Fabaceae species. Other recorded food plants include Brillantaisia lamium, Caperonia castaneifolia, Phaseolus vulgaris, Hibiscus mutabilis, Thalia geniculata, Mimosa pudica, Orchidaceae, Averrhoa bilimbi, Passiflora foetida, Antirrhinum majus, Theobroma cacao and Lantana camara. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Perth | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Melbourne | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Sydney | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Brisbane | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Chennai | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 6 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Singapore | 🇸🇬 Singapore | |
| 9 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Fire-Flag Plume Moth sighting in Chennai on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 338th most-seen of the 376 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.
March, August and October–November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Fire-Flag Plume Moth in Chennai on a given day, against under 5% in April–July, September and December–February, the lowest months. Those are among Chennai's wettest months, with about 180 mm of rain a month against 5 mm in February.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Fire-Flag Plume Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
5th of 10
Of the 10 cities where we can rate Fire-Flag Plume Moth sightings, Chennai ranks 5th at under 5%. The best odds are in Perth (Australia, about 10%), Melbourne (Australia, about 10%) and Sydney (Australia, about 10%).
Same order: Lepidoptera
The closest relatives of the Fire-Flag Plume Moth that you can see in Chennai (order Lepidoptera, Butterflies and Moths) are Tawny Coster (about 40%), Plain Tiger Butterfly (about 40%) and Lemon Pansy (about 40%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Fire-Flag Plume Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Chennai (5 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.
