White-Banded Hunter Hawkmoth

White-Banded Hunter Hawkmoth

Theretra oldenlandiae

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
at Nagoya

In 3 days ~70% in a week >90%

53 Verified sightings at Nagoya
18 In all 2 parks From 2019 to 2026
September Best month
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted

About the White-Banded Hunter Hawkmoth

Theretra oldenlandiae, the impatiens hawkmoth, taro hornworm or white-banded hunter hawkmoth, is a member of the family Sphingidae. It is found in India, Sri Lanka, China, Borneo, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, and Australia. It was described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1775.

The species differs from Theretra lycetus in being greyish brown without pink suffusion and the two dorsal lines on the abdomen are silvery white. There are also oblique stripes on forewing and the sides of abdomen is ochreous, not golden. Hindwing with the submarginal band ochreous and narrow.

Larva is pale purplish brown. There is a yellow subdorsal line and white spots with a pale lateral line below them on the thoracic somites. Black-ringed ocelli can be seen on 4th to 10th somites, where the first two centered with blue, and posterior with purple. In the early instars, posterior ocelli are centered with crimson color with dorsal bands of yellow specks. The species is found in open lowland habitats. As the caterpillar crawls, it sweeps the tail-like horn, which is black and tipped in white, in an arc forwards and back.

They are often considered... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kanha National Park 🇮🇳 India
~20%
2 Daintree National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Nagoya 🇯🇵 Japan
~40%
2 Fukuoka 🇯🇵 Japan
~20%
3 Hiroshima 🇯🇵 Japan
~20%
4 Osaka 🇯🇵 Japan
~20%
5 Davao City 🇵🇭 Philippines
~20%
6 Tokyo 🇯🇵 Japan
~20%
7 Jakarta 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~20%
8 Manila 🇵🇭 Philippines
~20%
9 Sendai 🇯🇵 Japan
~10%
10 Fuzhou 🇨🇳 China
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a White-Banded Hunter Hawkmoth in Nagoya?

Likely

About 40% of wildlife watchers report a White-Banded Hunter Hawkmoth sighting in Nagoya on a given day, based on 53 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 10th most-seen of the 195 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a White-Banded Hunter Hawkmoth in Nagoya?

September

In that month about 80% of wildlife watchers report a White-Banded Hunter Hawkmoth in Nagoya on a given day, against under 5% in November to March, the lowest months. That is one of Nagoya's wettest months, with about 220 mm of rain against 75 mm in January.

What time of day is best to see a White-Banded Hunter Hawkmoth?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White-Banded Hunter Hawkmoth 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.

Is Nagoya the best place to see a White-Banded Hunter Hawkmoth?

Yes

Of the 19 cities where we can rate White-Banded Hunter Hawkmoth sightings, Nagoya has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Fukuoka (Japan, about 20%) and Hiroshima (Japan, about 20%).

Which relatives of the White-Banded Hunter Hawkmoth live in Nagoya?

Same genus: Theretra

The closest relatives of the White-Banded Hunter Hawkmoth that you can see in Nagoya (genus Theretra, Hunter Hawkmoths) are Theretra japonica (about 10%) and Yam Hawkmoth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the White-Banded Hunter Hawkmoth sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the White-Banded Hunter Hawkmoth is recorded against all the insects logged in Nagoya (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.

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