Hypochrysops delicia
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Hypochrysops delicia, the moonlight jewel, is a member of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in eastern Australia. The wingspan is about 40 mm. The larvae feed on Acacia species, including A. binervia, A. dealbata, A. flavescens, A. implexa, A. irrorata, A. leiocalyx, A. mearnsii, A. melanoxylon, A. parramattensis, A. pycnantha and A. spectabilis. It is usually attended by Crematogaster species. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Moonlight Jewel sighting in Melbourne on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 537th 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.
December
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Moonlight Jewel in Melbourne on a given day, against under 5% in January to November, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Moonlight Jewel sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Moonlight Jewel sightings, Melbourne ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Brisbane (Australia, under 5%).
Same family: Lycaenidae
The closest relatives of the Moonlight Jewel that you can see in Melbourne (family Lycaenidae, Gossamer-winged Butterflies) are Lesser Grass Blue (about 20%), Zizina labradus (about 10%) and Saltbush Blue (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Moonlight Jewel is recorded against all the insects logged in Melbourne (13 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.
