Common Tan Wave

Common Tan Wave

Pleuroprucha insulsaria

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Montreal

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

23 Verified sightings at Montreal
23 In all 3 parks From 2019 to 2026
July Best month
🌙 Nocturnal When it's spotted

About the Common Tan Wave

Pleuroprucha insulsaria, the common tan wave moth, is a moth of the family Geometridae that was first described by Achille Guenée in 1857. It is found in eastern North America, from Nova Scotia to Florida, west to Texas and Colorado and north to Ontario. It ranges south through Mexico and Central America into South America (including Venezuela) and has been recorded as far south as the Galápagos Islands. It has also been recorded from the West Indies, including Jamaica.

The wingspan is 14-21 mm. Adults are on wing from March or April to October in the southern part of the range. In the north, adults have been recorded from June to October. The larvae feed on a wide range of plants, including Solanum dulcamara, Galium, Zea mays, Solidago, Castanea, Quercus and Salix species. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
3 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Austin 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Dallas 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Baltimore 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Chicago 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Washington 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
6 Philadelphia 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
7 Boston 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
8 Houston 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
9 Toronto 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
10 New York City 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Common Tan Wave in Montreal?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Common Tan Wave sighting in Montreal on a given day, based on 23 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 335th most-seen of the 926 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.

When is the best time to see a Common Tan Wave in Montreal?

July

In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Tan Wave in Montreal on a given day, against under 5% in August to June, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Common Tan Wave?

Between 8 and 11 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Tan Wave sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.

Is Montreal the best place to see a Common Tan Wave?

13th of 13

Of the 13 cities where we can rate Common Tan Wave sightings, Montreal ranks 13th at under 5%. The best odds are in Austin (United States, about 10%), Dallas (United States, about 10%) and Baltimore (United States, about 10%).

Where does the Common Tan Wave sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Common Tan Wave is recorded against all the insects logged in Montreal (23 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.

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