Tobacco Budworm Moth

Tobacco Budworm Moth

Chloridea virescens

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Los Angeles

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

52 Verified sightings at Los Angeles
August Best month

About the Tobacco Budworm Moth

Chloridea virescens, commonly known as the tobacco budworm, is a moth of the family Noctuidae found throughout the eastern and southwestern United States along with parts of Central America and South America. It is a major pest of field crops including tobacco (as its common name suggests) and cotton. It is able to reproduce on a wide variety of host plants ranging from fruits, vegetables, flowers, and weeds. Control of this pest has proven to be particularly difficult due to a variety of factors, but widespread insecticide and pesticide resistance have proven particularly concerning.

Chloridea virescens was formerly a member of the genus Heliothis, but was moved to the reinstated genus Chloridea as a result of genetic and morphological research published in 2013. Adult C. virescens are brownish in color with a light green tinge. The front wings have three dark bands, each associated with a whitish or cream border. Hindwings are whitish with a dark band at the distal margin. Fully grown adults measure between 28 and 35 mm (1.1 to 1.4 inches) in wingspan. Females are generally darker in color than males.

The tobacco budworm goes through 4 life stages... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability

More parks will be added in future updates.

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Sacramento 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
2 San Diego 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
3 Chicago 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
4 Los Angeles 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
5 Minneapolis [Saint Paul] 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
6 Denver 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
7 Portland 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
8 New York City 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
9 Buenos Aires 🇦🇷 Argentina
<5%
10 San Antonio 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Tobacco Budworm Moth in Los Angeles?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Tobacco Budworm Moth sighting in Los Angeles on a given day, based on 52 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 242nd 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.

When is the best time to see a Tobacco Budworm Moth in Los Angeles?

Any time of year

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

Is Los Angeles the best place to see a Tobacco Budworm Moth?

Among the best

Of the 13 cities where we can rate Tobacco Budworm Moth sightings, Los Angeles ranks 4th at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Sacramento (United States, under 5%), San Diego (United States, under 5%) and Chicago (United States, under 5%).

Where does the Tobacco Budworm Moth sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Tobacco Budworm Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Los Angeles (52 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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