Cirina forda
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
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 |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Pallid Emperor sighting in Harare on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 58th most-seen of the 93 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
November
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Pallid Emperor in Harare on a given day, against under 5% in February–October and December, the lowest months. That is one of Harare's wettest months, with about 95 mm of rain against almost none in August.
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.
Yes
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Pallid Emperor sightings, Harare has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Durban (South Africa, under 5%).
Same order: Lepidoptera
The closest relatives of the Pallid Emperor that you can see in Harare (order Lepidoptera, Butterflies and Moths) are Citrus Swallowtail (about 20%), Yellow Pansy (about 20%) and Dancing Amber (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Pallid Emperor is recorded against all the insects logged in Harare (6 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.
