Dwarf Tawny Wave

Dwarf Tawny Wave

Cyclophora nanaria

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Houston

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

23 Verified sightings at Houston
43 In all 2 parks From 2019 to 2026
May Best month
🌙 Nocturnal When it's spotted

About the Dwarf Tawny Wave

Cyclophora nanaria, the dwarf tawny wave, is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Francis Walker in 1861. It is found in the US from California to Texas and from New Jersey to Florida west along the Gulf Coast. The range extends south through Dominica and Jamaica to Argentina. It is an introduced species in Hawaii.

The wingspan is about 16 mm. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Austin 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 San Diego 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Santiago 🇨🇱 Chile
~10%
4 Mesa 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Dallas 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
6 San Antonio 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
7 Los Angeles 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
8 Phoenix 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
9 Houston 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
10 Monterrey 🇲🇽 México
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Dwarf Tawny Wave in Houston?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Dwarf Tawny Wave sighting in Houston on a given day, based on 23 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 458th most-seen of the 1057 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 Dwarf Tawny Wave in Houston?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Dwarf Tawny Wave in Houston on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Dwarf Tawny Wave?

Between 10 pm and 1 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Dwarf Tawny Wave sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.

Is Houston the best place to see a Dwarf Tawny Wave?

9th of 13

Of the 13 cities where we can rate Dwarf Tawny Wave sightings, Houston ranks 9th at under 5%. The best odds are in Austin (United States, about 10%), San Diego (United States, about 10%) and Santiago (Chile, about 10%).

Where does the Dwarf Tawny Wave sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Dwarf Tawny Wave is recorded against all the insects logged in Houston (23 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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