Hygraula nitens
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Hygraula nitens, the pond moth or Australian water moth, is a species of moth in the family Crambidae. It was described by Arthur Gardiner Butler in 1880. It is found in New Zealand and most of Australia, including Tasmania.
The wingspan is about 25 mm. The caterpillars of this species live underwater. The larvae feed on Potamogeton crispus and Zostera species. They also feed on other alien macrophytes such as Hydrilla verticillata, Lagarosiphon major, and Ceratophyllum demersum. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 2 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Pond Moth sighting in Melbourne on a given day, based on 84 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 186th 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 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February–April and December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Pond Moth in Melbourne on a given day, against under 5% in January and May–November, the lowest months.
Between 9 pm and midnight
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Pond 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.
3rd of 5
Of the 5 cities where we can rate Pond Moth sightings, Melbourne ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Auckland (New Zealand, about 10%) and Perth (Australia, about 10%).
Same family: Crambidae
The closest relatives of the Pond Moth that you can see in Melbourne (family Crambidae, Crambid Snout Moths) are Scoparia exhibitalis (about 10%), Nacoleia rhoeoalis (about 10%) and Tree Lucerne Moth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Pond Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Melbourne (84 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.
