Euchaetes egle
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Euchaetes egle, the milkweed tiger moth or milkweed tussock moth, is a moth in the family Erebidae and the tribe Arctiini, the tiger moths. The species was first described by Dru Drury in 1773. It is a common mid- through late summer feeder on milkweeds and dogbane. Like most species in this family, it has chemical defenses it acquires from its host plants, in this case, cardiac glycosides. These are retained in adults and deter bats, and presumably other predators, from feeding on them. Only very high cardiac glycoside concentrations deterred bats as predators. Adults indicate their unpalatability to bats with ultrasonic clicks from their tymbal organs.
It is found from southern Canada and south through Texas and Florida in North America. One generation per year occurs in the north, and two or more may occur in the south. Females lay eggs in masses on the undersides of leaves.
Early instars appear slightly hairy and gray. They skeletonize whole leaves gregariously, leaving lacy leaf remnants. They are gregarious until their third instar. Later instars sport tufts of black, white and orange (sometimes yellow) setae (hairs). The head... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Detroit | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 8 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Milkweed Tussock Moth sighting in Chicago on a given day, based on 258 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 69th 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 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Milkweed Tussock Moth in Chicago on a given day, against under 5% in October to June, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Milkweed Tussock Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 11 cities where we can rate Milkweed Tussock Moth sightings, Chicago ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Detroit (United States, about 10%) and Minneapolis [Saint Paul] (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Erebidae
The closest relatives of the Milkweed Tussock 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 Milkweed Tussock Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Chicago (258 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.
