Dirphia rubricauda
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
Dirphia rubricauda, commonly known as the Mars moth or red-tailed moth, is a large species of moth in the family Saturniidae, the same family as the giant silk moths. Described by Eugène Louis Bouvier in 1929, it is mainly recognized by the bright red tails on its hindwings and the urticating hairs of its caterpillars. It is primarily found in the Cerrado biome of Brazil and adjacent regions of South America.
D. rubricauda is distributed across tropical and subtropical South America, especially in Brazil. Within Brazil, it is more commonly found in the Cerrado biome, especially in the states of Goiás, the Federal District, and Tocantins. There are also confirmed records from Ceará and Piauí (Northeast) and transitional areas in Minas Gerais (Southeast).
Outside Brazil, it has been recorded in the Concepción department of Paraguay. Adults have a wingspan of 6–9 cm. The forewings are rust-colored to reddish-brown, often with coppery or reddish reflections. Hindwings feature bright red to orange-red tails, a defining trait of the species (rubricauda = "red tail"). Males have bipectinate antennae for detecting female pheromones; females' antennae are... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fortaleza | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Mars Moth sighting in Fortaleza on a given day, based on 22 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 15th most-seen of the 112 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June and July
In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Mars Moth in Fortaleza on a given day, against under 5% in April and October–January, the lowest months.
Only Fortaleza, in our data
Fortaleza is the only city on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Mars Moth sightings: about 20% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Mars Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Fortaleza (22 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.
