Alucita montana
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Alucita montana, the Montana six-plume moth, is a moth of the family Alucitidae. It was described by William Barnes and Arthur Ward Lindsey in 1921. It is found in North America from south-western Quebec and Vermont, west to British Columbia and south to Arizona, California and Texas.
The wingspan is 11–16 mm (0.43–0.63 in). The forewings are crossed by a wide median band, margined narrowly with white, which forks on the first two lobes. There is another band nearer the base on the first lobe which is not distinctly marked elsewhere, and an additional subterminal band which is narrower on the first two lobes. Between this and the median band there is a heavy costal spot which does not reach the inner margin of the first lobe. All of these marks are margined with white. The ground color is grayish tawny and the marks are very dark brown, as are the tips of the lobes. The hindwings are checkered with dark brown, tawny and white.
The larvae feed on Symphoricarpos species in the northern part of the range and Lonicera species in California. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Denver | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Montana Six-Plume Moth sighting in Denver on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 352nd most-seen of the 461 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.
October
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Montana Six-Plume Moth in Denver on a given day, against under 5% in November to September, the lowest months.
2nd of 3
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Montana Six-Plume Moth sightings, Denver ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Seattle (United States, about 10%).
Same order: Lepidoptera
The closest relatives of the Montana Six-Plume Moth that you can see in Denver (order Lepidoptera, Butterflies and Moths) are Painted Lady (about 20%), Monarch (about 20%) and Two-Tailed Swallowtail (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Montana Six-Plume Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Denver (7 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.
