Epiphyas postvittana
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
The light brown apple moth (Epiphyas postvittana), often abbreviated to LBAM, is a leafroller moth belonging to the lepidopteran family Tortricidae. Light brown apple moth adults are variable in colour and may be confused with other leafroller moths and similar species. DNA analysis is currently required to positively identify the species that are otherwise indistinguishable on gross characteristics from other moths of similar species. Typical males have a forewing length of 6–10 mm with a light brown area at the base, which is distinguishable from a much darker, red-brown area at the tip. The latter may be absent, with the moth appearing uniformly light brown, as in the females, which have only slightly darker oblique markings distinguishing the area at the tip of the wing. Females have a forewing length of 7–13 mm.
Larvae are not easily distinguished from the larvae of other tortricid leafrollers; only DNA testing is a certain identification method. The first larval instar has a dark brown head; all other instars have a light fawn head and prothoracic plate. Overwintering larvae are darker. First instar larvae are approximately 1... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | Birmingham | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 4 | Manchester | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 5 | Auckland | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 6 | Dublin | 🇮🇪 Ireland | |
| 7 | Leeds | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 8 | Melbourne | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Light Brown Apple Moth sighting in London on a given day, based on 776 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 34th most-seen of the 1504 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May and September–October
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Light Brown Apple Moth in London on a given day, against about 10% in December to March, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Light Brown Apple Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
2nd of 10
Of the 10 cities where we can rate Light Brown Apple Moth sightings, London ranks 2nd at about 20%. The best odds are in Liverpool (United Kingdom, about 50%).
Same family: Tortricidae
The closest relatives of the Light Brown Apple Moth that you can see in London (family Tortricidae, Tortricid Leafroller Moths) are Common Marble (about 10%), Clepsis dumicolana (about 10%) and Codling Moth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Light Brown Apple Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in London (776 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.
