Nepita conferta
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
Nepita is a monotypic genus of moth in the subfamily Arctiinae erected by Frederic Moore in 1860. Its only species, Nepita conferta, the footman moth, was first described by Francis Walker in 1854. It is found in India and Sri Lanka.
Palpi porrect (extending forward), extending beyond the frons, and fringed with hair below. Antennae roughly scaled. Tibia with long spurs. Forewings are broad and short. Veins 3 to 5 from close to angle of cell and vein 6 from below upper angle. Veins 7 to 9 stalked and vein 11 anastomosing with vein 12. Hindwings with stalked vein 4 and 5 and 6 and 7. From 8 from beyond middle of cell.
Male antennae bipectinate with short branches. Head and thorax orange, where thorax with black spots. Abdomen black, orange below and at extremity. Forewings orange with some black marks at base. Antemedial and medial bands are curved and waved, which coalesce at median vein. There is a black spot on discocellulars. The post medial band is waved and excurved round end of cell. A series of submarginal spots and streaks present, often conjoined into a band. Margin and cilia are black. Hindwings have orange base, and a broad marginal black band. The spots... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kanha National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 2 | Sinharaja Forest Reserve | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 3 | Eravikulam National Park | 🇮🇳 India |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Footman Moth sighting in Mumbai on a given day, based on 53 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 73rd most-seen of the 362 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July to October
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Footman Moth in Mumbai on a given day, against under 5% in December to May, the lowest months. Those are among Mumbai's wettest months, with about 480 mm of rain a month against almost none in January.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Footman Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
5th of 7
Of the 7 cities where we can rate Footman Moth sightings, Mumbai ranks 5th at about 10%. The best odds are in Bengaluru (India, about 30%), Ponnani (India, about 20%) and Mysuru (India, about 10%).
Same family: Erebidae
The closest relatives of the Footman Moth that you can see in Mumbai (family Erebidae, Underwing, Tiger, Tussock, and Allied Moths) are Banyan Tussock Moth (about 10%), Seven-Spotted Handmaiden Moth (about 10%) and Tropical Tiger Moth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Footman Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Mumbai (53 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.
