Cycnia tenera
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Cycnia tenera, the dogbane tiger moth or delicate cycnia, is a moth in the family Erebidae. It occurs throughout North America, from southern British Columbia to Nova Scotia southwards to Arizona and Florida. The species is distasteful and there is evidence that it emits aposematic ultrasound signals; these may also jam bat echolocation, as the functions are not mutually exclusive.
It is a common feeder on Apocynum cannabinum (dogbane, Indian hemp) which produces a milky latex containing cardenolides, toxic cardiac glycoside that defend against herbivores. It also feeds on milkweed species, Asclepias, at least in parts of its range, but is most commonly reported from dogbane. Its interactions with bats have been much studied, but are an area of dispute regarding whether the clicks emitted by adult moths are disruptive of bat echolocation, or merely aposematic warning signals. The two functions are not mutually exclusive, however, so it may not be possible to resolve the issue. The moth's coloration appears to be aposematic for insectivorous birds. Chemical signals do not prevent bats from attacking, but do cause bats to release C. tenera they have caught. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Glacier National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 6 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Delicate Cycnia Moth sighting in New York City on a given day, based on 94 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 252nd most-seen of the 1623 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.
July and August
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Delicate Cycnia Moth in New York City on a given day, against under 5% in September to June, the lowest months.
Between 9 pm and midnight
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Delicate Cycnia 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.
4th of 6
Of the 6 cities where we can rate Delicate Cycnia Moth sightings, New York City ranks 4th at under 5%. The best odds are in Washington (United States, about 10%), Baltimore (United States, about 10%) and Philadelphia (United States, under 5%).
Same family: Erebidae
The closest relatives of the Delicate Cycnia Moth that you can see in New York City (family Erebidae, Underwing, Tiger, Tussock, and Allied Moths) are Green Cloverworm Moth (about 10%), Isabella Tiger Moth (about 10%) and Fall Webworm Moth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Delicate Cycnia Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in New York City (94 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.
