Melipotis acontioides
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Melipotis acontioides, the royal poinciana moth, is a species of moth in the family Erebidae. It was first described by Achille Guenée in 1852. The species is found from the southern United States (including California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Florida) through Mexico and Central America to Brazil, Argentina and the Galápagos Islands. It is also found in the Caribbean, including Cuba and the British Virgin Islands, Jamaica and Puerto Rico.
The wingspan is about 43 mm. The larvae feed on Delonix regia and Parkinsonia aculeata and Parkinsonia florida. The larvae feed at night. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 3 | Galápagos Islands | 🇪🇨 Ecuador |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Torreón | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 2 | Mesa | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Las Vegas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Phoenix | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Monterrey | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 7 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Royal Poinciana Graphic sighting in Los Angeles on a given day, based on 40 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 313th most-seen of the 851 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 Royal Poinciana Graphic in Los Angeles on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Royal Poinciana Graphic sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
9th of 10
Of the 10 cities where we can rate Royal Poinciana Graphic sightings, Los Angeles ranks 9th at under 5%. The best odds are in Torreón (México, about 10%), Mesa (United States, about 10%) and Las Vegas (United States, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Royal Poinciana Graphic is recorded against all the insects logged in Los Angeles (40 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.
