Schinia florida
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Schinia florida, the primrose moth, is a moth of the family Noctuidae described by Achille Guenée in 1852. Its range includes most of temperate North America aside from the west coast. Adults have a pink head and pale yellow to creamy white thorax and abdomen. The forewings are pink with pale yellow markings. The hindwings are creamy white. The wingspan is about 30 mm.
Eggs are laid on the flower buds of evening-primroses (Oenothera spp.), which are the larval host plants. Eggs hatch 4–5 days after being laid. Larvae go through five instars before burrowing into the ground to pupate and overwinter.
There is one generation per year, with the adult flight period timed to coincide with the bud development of its larval host plants. Adults are nocturnal, and often rest in the flowers of evening-primroses during the day. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Edmonton | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Salt Lake City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Primrose Moth sighting in Edmonton on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 273rd most-seen of the 390 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.
July
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Primrose Moth in Edmonton on a given day, against under 5% in August to June, the lowest months. That is one of Edmonton's wettest months, with about 95 mm of rain against 20 mm in February.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Primrose 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 6 cities where we can rate Primrose Moth sightings, Edmonton ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Montreal (Canada, under 5%).
Same family: Noctuidae
The closest relatives of the Primrose Moth that you can see in Edmonton (family Noctuidae, Cutworm Moths and Allies) are American Copper Underwing (about 10%), Alfalfa Looper (about 10%) and Bicolored Sallow (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Primrose Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Edmonton (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.
