Catocala palaeogama
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Catocala palaeogama, the old wife underwing, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Achille Guenée in 1852. It is found in North America from Ontario and Quebec (where it is rare), through Maine, New Jersey, Tennessee, to South Carolina, west to Arkansas and Oklahoma and north through Iowa, Indiana, Illinois and Michigan.
Some authors consider Catocala palaeogama to be a synonym of Catocala neogama. The wingspan is 60–70 mm. Adults are on wing from June to October depending on the location. There is probably one generation per year. The larvae feed on Carya alba, C. glabra, C. illinoinensis, C. laciniosa, C. ovalis, C. ovata, Castanea dentata, Juglans nigra and Malus pumila. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Oldwife Underwing sighting in New York City on a given day, based on 68 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 353rd 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.
August
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Oldwife Underwing in New York City on a given day, against under 5% in September to July, the lowest months.
Between 9 pm and midnight
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Oldwife Underwing sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
Among the best
Of the 6 cities where we can rate Oldwife Underwing sightings, New York City ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Philadelphia (United States, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Oldwife Underwing is recorded against all the insects logged in New York City (68 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.
