Anticarsia gemmatalis
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Anticarsia gemmatalis is a tropical species of caterpillar and moth that migrates north each season. The species can commonly be found in the Gulf states, north as far as Wisconsin. The adults have wings that are grayish brown, crossed with brown or black zigzag lines. The caterpillars are black or green, with narrow lighter stripes on the back and sides. They spit out a brownish substance, spring into the air and wriggle a lot when they are disturbed. The species eats velvet beans, peanut, soybeans, cotton, kudzu, alfalfa, cowpeas, horse beans, snap beans, lima beans, and coffeeweeds. Its common name is velvetbean caterpillar and velvetbean moth.
Egg viability was highest at 25 °C (77 °F) and adaptation to higher temperatures did not occur over a three generation observation. This suggests global warming will reduce A. gemmatalis losses on soybeans in tropical areas that are already at 25 °C (77 °F) but increase predation on soybeans in areas currently below that temperature, thus in fact only shifting the affected area. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Main Ridge Forest Reserve | 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago | |
| 2 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cordoba | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 2 | Buenos Aires | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 3 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Orlando | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Monterrey | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 10 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Velvetbean Caterpillar Moth sighting in Miami on a given day, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 424th most-seen of the 826 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.
September
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Velvetbean Caterpillar Moth in Miami on a given day, against under 5% in October to August, the lowest months. That is one of Miami's wettest months, with about 190 mm of rain against 45 mm in January.
Between 9 pm and midnight
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Velvetbean Caterpillar Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
10th of 14
Of the 14 cities where we can rate Velvetbean Caterpillar Moth sightings, Miami ranks 10th at under 5%. The best odds are in Cordoba (Argentina, about 10%), Buenos Aires (Argentina, about 10%) and Austin (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Erebidae
The closest relatives of the Velvetbean Caterpillar Moth that you can see in Miami (family Erebidae, Underwing, Tiger, Tussock, and Allied Moths) are Edwards' Wasp Moth (about 10%), Polka-Dot Wasp Moth (about 10%) and Ornate Bella Moth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Velvetbean Caterpillar Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Miami (15 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.
