Actias ningpoana
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
Actias ningpoana, commonly known as the Chinese moon moth, is a species of moth in the family Saturniidae. The species was first described by father-and-son entomologists Cajetan and Rudolf Felder in 1862. It is a large moth with long, curved hindwing tails. There are many congeners across Asia; the Luna moth (A. luna) of eastern Canada and the United States is closely related.
Actias ningpoana (Felder & Felder) was regarded as a subspecies of Actias selene, but was recently recognized as a separate species by Ylla et al. (2005). China (Jilin, Liaoning, Hebei, Henan, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Fujian, Guangdong, Hong Kong, Hainan, Sichuan, Yunnan) (Zhu & Wang, 1996)
Russia (far east) (Zolotuhin & Chuvilin, 2009) India – Western Ghats Larvae are typically fleshy, with clumps of raised bristles. The pupa develops in a silken cocoon or in the soil. Adults lack functional mouthparts, and their lifespan is measured in days. They have small heads, densely hairy bodies, and wingspans ranging from 13 to 15 centimeters.
In Hong Kong, A. ningpoana has been reared on camphor (Cinnamomum camphora) (Hill et al., 1982 as Arctias... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taroko National Park | 🇹🇼 Taiwan |
More parks will be added in future updates.
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Chinese Moon Moth sighting in Hangzhou on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 145th most-seen of the 172 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Chinese Moon Moth in Hangzhou on a given day, against under 5% in May–July, September–October and December–March, the lowest months. That is one of Hangzhou's wettest months, with about 180 mm of rain against 65 mm in December.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Chinese Moon Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
4th of 6
Of the 6 cities where we can rate Chinese Moon Moth sightings, Hangzhou ranks 4th at about 10%. The best odds are in Hefei (China, about 20%), Kunming (China, about 10%) and Hong Kong (China, about 10%).
Same order: Lepidoptera
The closest relatives of the Chinese Moon Moth that you can see in Hangzhou (order Lepidoptera, Butterflies and Moths) are Common Mormon Swallowtail (about 20%), Tropical Fritillary (about 20%) and Pale Grass Blue (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Chinese Moon Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Hangzhou (5 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.
