Lucerne Moth

Lucerne Moth

Nomophila nearctica

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at New York City

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%

274 Verified sightings at New York City
55 In all 5 parks From 2019 to 2026
August Best month
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted

About the Lucerne Moth

Nomophila nearctica, the lucerne moth, clover nomophila, false webworm, celery stalkworm or American celery webworm, is a moth of the family Crambidae. It is known from southern Canada and all of the United States, south to Mexico and the Neotropics.

The wingspan is 24–35 mm. Adults are on wing from April to November in North America. The larvae feed on celery, grasses, lucerne, Medicago sativa, Polygonum, Melilotus and various other low-growing herbaceous plants. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
2 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 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 Detroit 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
6 Philadelphia 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
7 Washington 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
8 New York City 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
9 Houston 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
10 Toronto 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Lucerne Moth in New York City?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Lucerne Moth sighting in New York City on a given day, based on 274 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 111th most-seen of the 1623 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.

When is the best time to see a Lucerne Moth in New York City?

July to October

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Lucerne Moth in New York City on a given day, against under 5% in November to June, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Lucerne Moth?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Lucerne Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.

Is New York City the best place to see a Lucerne Moth?

Among the best

Of the 21 cities where we can rate Lucerne Moth sightings, New York City ranks 8th at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Austin (United States, about 10%), Dallas (United States, about 10%) and Baltimore (United States, about 10%).

Where does the Lucerne Moth sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Lucerne Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in New York City (274 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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