Filodes costivitralis
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Filodes costivitralis, the window pearl, is a moth of the family Crambidae. It is found in Réunion, Madagascar, Mauritius, and central, southern and eastern Africa. The larvae feed on Hibiscus species and Thunbergia species, including Thunbergia grandiflora.
Occasionally the adults drink tear liquid from cattle, and can be a vector of animal diseases. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Window Pearl sighting in Nairobi on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 99th most-seen of the 123 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May and June
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Window Pearl in Nairobi on a given day, against under 5% in August to April, the lowest months.
Between 5 and 8 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Window Pearl sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
Yes
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Window Pearl sightings, Nairobi has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Durban (South Africa, under 5%).
Same family: Crambidae
The closest relatives of the Window Pearl that you can see in Nairobi (family Crambidae, Crambid Snout Moths) are Hawaiian Beet Webworm Moth (about 10%), Ornate Hydriris Moth (about 10%) and Rusty Dot Pearl (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Window Pearl is recorded against all the insects logged in Nairobi (6 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.
