Ailanthus Webworm Moth

Ailanthus Webworm Moth

Atteva punctella

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Chicago

In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%

1,024 Verified sightings at Chicago
263 In all 12 parks From 2019 to 2026
August Best month
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted

About the Ailanthus Webworm Moth

Atteva pustulella, also known as polilla cigarrito arlequín or little cigarette harlequin moth, is a moth of the family Attevidae. It is found from Costa Rica, where it meets Atteva aurea, southwards to Uruguay and Argentina. It is also present in the Antilles. There are also several reports from Dominica, Jamaica, Haiti and Martinique.

The larvae feed only on new shoots of Simarouba amara. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Main Ridge Forest Reserve 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago
~20%
2 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
3 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
4 Padre Island National Seashore 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Las Baulas Marine National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
6 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
7 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
8 Cumbres de Monterrey National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
9 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
10 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
11 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
12 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Mendoza 🇦🇷 Argentina
~40%
2 Detroit 🇺🇸 United States
~30%
3 Chicago 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
4 Austin 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
5 Buenos Aires 🇦🇷 Argentina
~20%
6 Baltimore 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
7 Dallas 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
8 Washington 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
9 Boston 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
10 Cordoba 🇦🇷 Argentina
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing an Ailanthus Webworm Moth in Chicago?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report an Ailanthus Webworm Moth sighting in Chicago on a given day, based on 1,024 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 11th most-seen of the 978 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see an Ailanthus Webworm Moth in Chicago?

August

In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report an Ailanthus Webworm Moth in Chicago on a given day, against under 5% in November to April, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see an Ailanthus Webworm Moth?

Between noon and 3 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Ailanthus Webworm 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.

Is Chicago the best place to see an Ailanthus Webworm Moth?

3rd of 18

Of the 18 cities where we can rate Ailanthus Webworm Moth sightings, Chicago ranks 3rd at about 20%. The best odds are in Mendoza (Argentina, about 40%) and Detroit (United States, about 30%).

Which relatives of the Ailanthus Webworm Moth live in Chicago?

Same order: Lepidoptera

The closest relatives of the Ailanthus Webworm Moth that you can see in Chicago (order Lepidoptera, Butterflies and Moths) are Monarch (about 40%), Black Swallowtail (about 30%) and Red Admiral (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Ailanthus Webworm Moth sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Ailanthus Webworm Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Chicago (1,024 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.

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