Cirina forda
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Cirina forda, the pallid emperor moth or shea defoliator, is a moth of the family Saturniidae. The species was first described by John O. Westwood in 1849. It is found in western Africa, including Ghana, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Africa.
Adults are pale creamy brown with a small darker spot on each hindwing but lacking true eyespots. There is one generation per year. The larvae feed on Vitellaria paradoxa. They may cause heavy defoliation in Ghana and Nigeria. In South Africa the favoured food plant is the tree Burkea africana.
The larvae are consumed (entomophagy) in Nigeria. Pupation takes place in soft soil or sand at the base of the host plant. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nairobi National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 2 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Pallid Emperor sighting in Durban on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 248th most-seen of the 401 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January, March, August–September and November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Pallid Emperor in Durban on a given day, against under 5% in February, April–July, October and December, the lowest months.
Between 5 and 8 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Pallid Emperor sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Pallid Emperor sightings, Durban ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Harare (Zimbabwe, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Pallid Emperor is recorded against all the insects logged in Durban (8 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.
