Harrisina metallica
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Harrisina metallica, the western grapeleaf skeletonizer, is a species of moth of the family Zygaenidae. It is found in the Southwestern United States, from California to Texas, north to Colorado and Utah and in northern Mexico.
The wingspan is 22–30 millimetres (0.87–1.18 in). Adults are on wing from April to October depending on the location. The larvae feed on grapes and species of Parthenocissus. Some choose to call these larvae "grape worms" because of their impeccable taste for such a sweet fruit they're laid upon by their parents. The caterpillar also have stinging hairs that can cause rash or allergic reaction.
They are in fact natures pest to precious to many grape vineyards affecting the crops yield for the season. The problem can be simply taken care of by bacteria-based insecticide, organically certified. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Western Grapeleaf Skeletonizer Moth sighting in Mexico City on a given day, based on 25 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 230th most-seen of the 557 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.
August
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Western Grapeleaf Skeletonizer Moth in Mexico City on a given day, against under 5% in September to July, the lowest months. That is one of Mexico City's wettest months, with about 150 mm of rain against 5 mm in December.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Western Grapeleaf Skeletonizer Moth sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 6
Of the 6 cities where we can rate Western Grapeleaf Skeletonizer Moth sightings, Mexico City ranks 4th at under 5%. The best odds are in Las Vegas (United States, about 10%), Mesa (United States, about 10%) and Phoenix (United States, under 5%).
Same order: Lepidoptera
The closest relatives of the Western Grapeleaf Skeletonizer Moth that you can see in Mexico City (order Lepidoptera, Butterflies and Moths) are Two-Tailed Swallowtail (about 40%), Green-Eyed White (about 30%) and Juno Silverspot (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Western Grapeleaf Skeletonizer Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Mexico City (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.
