Etiella behrii
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Etiella behrii (common names include lucerne seed web moth, small tabby and pyralid moth) is a species of moth of the family Pyralidae, occurring sporadically but when present considered a serious pest of agricultural crops throughout parts of Australia.
The name "lucerne seed web moth" comes from the behaviour of a newly hatched larva spinning a protective web around itself. Etiella behrii is found in much of South East Asia including Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia. and most of Australia. It also occurs throughout Australia in Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales, ACT, Victoria, and Western Australia.
More recently E. behrii has been discovered to migrate 250 km (160 mi) over the Bass Strait to Tasmania where its detection coincides with the arrival of multiple known migratory species usually after suitable airflows for migration occur across the Bass Strait. However, it theorised that E. behrii is prevented from breeding and establishing in Tasmania due to a lack of winter diapause and the absence of observed larvae.
This species was first described by German entomologist Philipp Christoph Zeller in 1848 in his works, Exotische Phycideen... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Small Tabby sighting in Melbourne on a given day, based on 55 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 247th 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.
October to December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Small Tabby in Melbourne on a given day, against under 5% in January to September, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Small Tabby sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Yes
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Small Tabby sightings, Melbourne has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Brisbane (Australia, under 5%).
Same family: Pyralidae
The closest relatives of the Small Tabby that you can see in Melbourne (family Pyralidae, Pyralid Snout Moths) are Meal Moth (about 10%) and Spectrotrota fimbrialis (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Small Tabby is recorded against all the insects logged in Melbourne (55 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.
