Brown Ctenucha

Brown Ctenucha

Ctenucha brunnea

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Los Angeles

In 3 days ~10%

8 Verified sightings at Los Angeles
15 In 1 park From 2019 to 2026
June Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Brown Ctenucha

Ctenucha brunnea, the brown ctenucha or brown-winged ctenucha, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Richard Harper Stretch in 1872. It is a diurnal moth found in the US from central to southern coastal California. North of that, it is replaced by Ctenucha multifaria.

Adults' bodies are 20–26 millimetres (0.79–1.02 in) in length and blue, with red heads and shoulder markings. The length of the forewings is 18–20 millimetres (0.71–0.79 in). Adults are on wing from mid May to mid July. They feed on the nectar of Heteromeles arbutifolia.

Eggs are round and fade from white to yellow, and laid in rows. The larvae are black with buff-colored or yellow hairs, with two black tufts on the front and rear and an amber or orange head. They feed on Leymus condensatus and other grasses and sedges. The pupae are chestnut in color and wrapped loosely in a cocoon of the larval hairs. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

More parks will be added in future updates.

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 San Diego 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
2 Los Angeles 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Brown Ctenucha in Los Angeles?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Ctenucha sighting in Los Angeles on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 626th most-seen of the 851 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Brown Ctenucha in Los Angeles?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Ctenucha in Los Angeles on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Brown Ctenucha?

Between 2 and 5 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Brown Ctenucha sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Los Angeles the best place to see a Brown Ctenucha?

Among the best

Of the 2 cities where we can rate Brown Ctenucha sightings, Los Angeles ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in San Diego (United States, under 5%).

Where does the Brown Ctenucha sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Brown Ctenucha is recorded against all the insects logged in Los Angeles (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.

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