Megalopyge opercularis
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Megalopyge opercularis is a moth of the family Megalopygidae. It has numerous common names, including southern flannel moth for its adult form, and puss caterpillar, asp, Italian asp, fire caterpillar, woolly slug, opossum bug, puss moth, tree asp, or asp caterpillar.
The inch-long larva is generously coated in long, luxuriant hair-like setae, making it resemble a tiny Persian cat, the characteristic that presumably gave it the name "puss." It is variable in color, from downy, grayish white to golden brown to dark, charcoal gray. It often has a streak of bright orange running longitudinally. The "fur" on early-stage larvae is sometimes extremely curly, giving them a cottony, puffed-up look. The body tapers to a tail that extends well beyond the body, unlike its relative M. crispata. The middle instar has a more disheveled, "bad-hair-day" appearance, without a distinctive tail. The "fur" of the larva contains venomous spines that cause extremely painful reactions in human skin upon contact. The adult moth is covered in long fur in colors ranging from dull orange to lemon yellow, with hairy legs and fuzzy black feet. The cocoons that these caterpillars emerge from... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Congaree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Orlando | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Monterrey | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 7 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Flannel Moth sighting in Houston on a given day, based on 305 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 46th most-seen of the 1057 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.
October and November
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Flannel Moth in Houston on a given day, against under 5% in January to April, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Southern Flannel Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Yes
Of the 8 cities where we can rate Southern Flannel Moth sightings, Houston has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Miami (United States, about 10%) and Austin (United States, about 10%).
Same order: Lepidoptera
The closest relatives of the Southern Flannel Moth that you can see in Houston (order Lepidoptera, Butterflies and Moths) are Gulf Fritillary (about 30%), Monarch (about 30%) and Salt Marsh Moth (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Southern Flannel Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Houston (305 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.
