Abantiades atripalpis
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Abantiades atripalpis, previously known as Trictena atripalpis, also known as rain moth, waikerie, and bardi (and variant spellings), is a moth of the family Hepialidae. It is one of the largest moths in Australia, and is found in the whole southern half of the country. The moths provide a food source for nocturnal animals, and the larval stage grubs are used as bait in fishing.
The moth's common name, "rain moth", stems from the fact that the adult moths often emerge from their pupae before rain, during the southern hemisphere autumn, in March or April. The Aboriginal name for the moth is waikerie, and other common names are swift month, and "bardee" of "bardi" grub, although this name is used by fishers for other species of grubs as well.
Its scientific name is Abantiades atripalpis, after having been previously known as Trictena atripalpis. The larvae live in tunnels, burrowing deep after hatching. They feed on the roots of various Acacia and Eucalyptus species, especially the roots of Eucalyptus camaldulensis (red gums), as well as Casuarina pauper. They are herbivores. Their burrows widen as they grow bigger, reaching a diameter of up... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Melbourne | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Bardi Moth sighting in Melbourne on a given day, based on 25 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 377th most-seen of the 875 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.
April and May
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Bardi Moth in Melbourne on a given day, against under 5% in June to March, the lowest months.
Between 9 pm and midnight
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Bardi Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
Only Melbourne, in our data
Melbourne is the only city on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Bardi Moth sightings: under 5% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Bardi Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Melbourne (25 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.
