Autographa precationis
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
Autographa precationis (common looper moth) is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in eastern and central North America. The wingspan is 30–38 mm. Adults are on wing from April to October depending on the location. There are three or more generations per year.
The larvae feed on various forbs, including Apiaceae, Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Convolvulaceae, Fabaceae, Malvaceae, Plantaginaceae and Verbenaceae species. The common looper is thought to have recently moved into the greater niche provided by more soybean planting in its range, with larvae observed in the wild feeding on soybean plants in addition to their usual fare. Notably, their digestibility and efficiency of food utilization for soybeans was not as high as with Pseudoplusia includens, suggesting host plant preference for common loopers is slightly different. Visually, the two species are strikingly similar, so it is easy to confuse the two, but notably the silver spots on the wings of the Common Looper are usually conjoined, while the spots on the wings of P. includens are separated, and their wings are shinier than those of A. precationis. Larvae of this species have 21–23... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 6 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Looper Moth sighting in Chicago on a given day, based on 139 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 120th most-seen of the 978 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July to October
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Looper Moth in Chicago on a given day, against under 5% in November to June, the lowest months.
Between 10 pm and 1 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Looper Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Yes
Of the 8 cities where we can rate Common Looper Moth sightings, Chicago has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Boston (United States, under 5%) and Toronto (Canada, under 5%).
Same family: Noctuidae
The closest relatives of the Common Looper Moth that you can see in Chicago (family Noctuidae, Cutworm Moths and Allies) are American Dagger (about 10%), Armyworm Moth (about 10%) and Corn Earworm Moth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Common Looper Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Chicago (139 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.
