Perina nuda
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
Perina nuda, the clearwing tussock moth or banyan tussock moth, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1787. It is found in the Indian subregion, Sri Lanka, southern China, Hong Kong, Thailand and Sundaland.
Adults show striking sexual dimorphism. The caterpillar has a greyish head and flanks, with the broad black dorsum. Its setae are white. The pupa is bristly, piebald in dark grey and cream. The setae on each pupa is orange. The caterpillar is a minor pest on several banyan species such as Ficus benjamina, Ficus benghalensis, Ficus racemosa, Ficus pumila and Ficus religiosa, and also many crop plants like Artocarpus and Mangifera.
The species is associated with an RNA virus called Perina nuda virus. Semiochemicals of Perina nuda, the Clearwing tussock moth. The Pherobase. The complete genome sequence of Perina nuda picorna-like virus, an insect-infecting RNA virus with a genome organization similar to that of the mammalian picornaviruses.
Perina nuda virus Life history of the Perina nuda (Fabricius) and virus production of the infected... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kanha National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 2 | Taroko National Park | 🇹🇼 Taiwan |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Banyan Tussock Moth sighting in Kolkata on a given day, based on 24 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 81st most-seen of the 213 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January, March and September
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Banyan Tussock Moth in Kolkata on a given day, against under 5% in May, the lowest month.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Banyan Tussock Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
8th of 20
Of the 20 cities where we can rate Banyan Tussock Moth sightings, Kolkata ranks 8th at about 10%. The best odds are in Taipei (Taiwan, about 20%), Hong Kong (China, about 20%) and Tuen Mun (China, about 10%).
Same family: Erebidae
The closest relatives of the Banyan Tussock Moth that you can see in Kolkata (family Erebidae, Underwing, Tiger, Tussock, and Allied Moths) are Seven-Spotted Handmaiden Moth (about 30%), Tropical Tiger Moth (about 20%) and Castor Semi-Looper (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Banyan Tussock Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Kolkata (24 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.
