Chalcoela iphitalis
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Chalcoela iphitalis, the sooty-winged chalcoela, is a moth species of the family Crambidae that occurs throughout North America. They are seen as far south as California, Arizona and South Carolina and as far north as Ontario. Adults can be seen from May to August. The head, body and front portion of the forewings are yellow-orange while the hindwing and back portion of the forewings are grey and silver. The back edge of the hindwing has black spots.
It was first described as Cataclysta iphitalis by Francis Walker in 1859. The larvae are parasitoids, feeding on the larvae of paper wasps, including species such as Polistes dominula, P. exclamans, P. metricus, Mischocyttarus flavitarsis and P. apachus. For example, M. flavitarsis nest cells are often invaded by the larvae at night because the wasps cannot see them. The larvae migrate among the cells, consuming wasp larvae and pupae. They will then pupate, spinning their cocoons in empty cells. M. flavitarsis do not attempt to rid the nest of the parasite. Instead, they will continue as a nest or abandon and renest elsewhere. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
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More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Portland | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Denver | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Salt Lake City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Sacramento | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Sooty-Winged Chalcoela Moth sighting in Houston on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 790th 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.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Sooty-Winged Chalcoela Moth in Houston on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Among the best
Of the 15 cities where we can rate Sooty-Winged Chalcoela Moth sightings, Houston ranks 12th at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Baltimore (United States, under 5%), Portland (United States, under 5%) and Denver (United States, under 5%).
Same family: Crambidae
The closest relatives of the Sooty-Winged Chalcoela Moth that you can see in Houston (family Crambidae, Crambid Snout Moths) are Garden Webworm Moth (about 10%), Hawaiian Beet Webworm Moth (about 10%) and Celery Leaftier Moth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Sooty-Winged Chalcoela Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Houston (8 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.
