Citrus Looper

Citrus Looper

Ascotis selenaria

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Hong Kong

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

6 Verified sightings at Hong Kong
17 In 1 park From 2019 to 2026
April Best month
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted

About the Citrus Looper

Ascotis selenaria, the giant looper, is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Michael Denis and Ignaz Schiffermüller in 1775. Ascotis selenaria dianaria (Hübner, 1817) Ascotis selenaria selenaria (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775)

The front wings are characterized by a yellowish-white ground color, with numerous dark grey markings and two brownish sharply toothed transverse lines. The front and rear wings show distinctive moon shaped spots. The color and pattern of the caterpillars vary from green to yellow/green or brown resembling twigs. They have a characteristic bulbous swelling on the thorax and move with a looping motion as usual in measuring worms.

The giant looper has two generations per year in southern Europe, flying from April to May and from July to August. However, further North it's possible that they only fly in one generation. They are attracted to light. The caterpillars can be found from September to... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%

More parks will be added in future updates.

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kyiv 🇺🇦 Ukraine
~10%
2 Lyon 🇫🇷 France
<5%
3 Milan 🇮🇹 Italy
<5%
4 Vienna 🇦🇹 Austria
<5%
5 Beijing 🇨🇳 China
<5%
6 Tokyo 🇯🇵 Japan
<5%
7 Hong Kong 🇨🇳 China
<5%
8 Moscow 🇷🇺 Russia
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Citrus Looper in Hong Kong?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Citrus Looper sighting in Hong Kong on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 925th most-seen of the 1125 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.

When is the best time to see a Citrus Looper in Hong Kong?

April

In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Citrus Looper in Hong Kong on a given day, against under 5% in May to March, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Citrus Looper?

Between midnight and 3 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Citrus Looper sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.

Is Hong Kong the best place to see a Citrus Looper?

7th of 8

Of the 8 cities where we can rate Citrus Looper sightings, Hong Kong ranks 7th at under 5%. The best odds are in Kyiv (Ukraine, about 10%), Lyon (France, under 5%) and Milan (Italy, under 5%).

Which relatives of the Citrus Looper live in Hong Kong?

Same family: Geometridae

The closest relatives of the Citrus Looper that you can see in Hong Kong (family Geometridae, Geometer Moths) are False Tiger Moth (about 30%), Milionia basalis (about 10%) and Orange Magpie Moth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Citrus Looper sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Citrus Looper is recorded against all the insects logged in Hong Kong (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.

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