Mythimna unipuncta
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Mythimna unipuncta, the true armyworm moth, white-speck moth, common armyworm, or rice armyworm, is a species of moth in the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Adrian Hardy Haworth in 1809. Mythimna unipuncta occurs in most of North America south of the Arctic, as well as parts of South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Although thought to be Neotropical in origin, it has been introduced elsewhere, and is often regarded as an agricultural pest. They are known as armyworms because the caterpillars move in lines as a massive group, like an army, from field to field, damaging crops.
The true armyworm has a distinct migration pattern in which they travel north in the spring and south in the fall to ensure that mating occurs in a favorable environment in the summer. While progressing through the life cycle stages of egg, larva, pupa, and adult, this species must avoid attack from predatory bugs, birds, wasp and fly parasitoids, and bacterial and fungal diseases. As polygamous insects, females release sex pheromones and choose multiple males as mates. The production and release of the pheromones are influenced by temperature, photoperiod, and the juvenile hormone. Hearing is an important sense for the true armyworm, necessary for mating and evading bat predation. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guadalupe Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 4 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 6 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 7 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Porto | 🇵🇹 Portugal | |
| 2 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Turin | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 4 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Sacramento | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Puebla | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 10 | Milan | 🇮🇹 Italy |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Armyworm Moth sighting in Dallas on a given day, based on 232 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 83rd most-seen of the 1412 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February and March
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report an Armyworm Moth in Dallas on a given day, against under 5% in July and August, the lowest months.
Between 9 pm and midnight
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Armyworm Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
5th of 34
Of the 34 cities where we can rate Armyworm Moth sightings, Dallas ranks 5th at about 10%. The best odds are in Porto (Portugal, about 20%), Austin (United States, about 20%) and Turin (Italy, about 10%).
Same family: Noctuidae
The closest relatives of the Armyworm Moth that you can see in Dallas (family Noctuidae, Cutworm Moths and Allies) are Wedgling Moth (about 10%), Green Cutworm Moth (about 10%) and Yellow-Striped Armyworm Moth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Armyworm Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Dallas (232 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.
