Phoberia atomaris
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Phoberia atomaris, the common oak moth, is a species of moth in the family Erebidae. The species is found in North America, from Quebec and Ontario south to Florida, and west to Kansas and Texas. The wingspan is about 38 mm. Adults are on wing from March to July depending on the location.
The larvae feed on Oak species, including Northern red oak. The species is univoltine, with most defoliation occurring during the spring. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Common Oak Moth sighting in Chicago on a given day, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 520th most-seen of the 978 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.
April
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Oak Moth in Chicago on a given day, against under 5% in May to March, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Oak Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
5th of 6
Of the 6 cities where we can rate Common Oak Moth sightings, Chicago ranks 5th at under 5%. The best odds are in Austin (United States, about 10%), Dallas (United States, about 10%) and San Antonio (United States, under 5%).
Same family: Erebidae
The closest relatives of the Common Oak Moth that you can see in Chicago (family Erebidae, Underwing, Tiger, Tussock, and Allied Moths) are White-Marked Tussock Moth (about 10%), Green Cloverworm Moth (about 10%) and Isabella Tiger Moth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Common Oak Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Chicago (14 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.
