Wood Leopard Moth

Wood Leopard Moth

Zeuzera pyrina

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at New York City

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

56 Verified sightings at New York City
129 In all 6 parks From 2019 to 2026
July Best month
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted

About the Wood Leopard Moth

Zeuzera pyrina, the leopard moth or wood leopard moth, is a moth of the family Cossidae. It is considered a pest by fruit growers, as the larvae feed on branches of many kinds of fruit trees. Olive trees in particular are very susceptible and can be killed by the larvae burrowing within them.

This species can be found primarily in Europe (excluding Ireland) but also in northern Africa (Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco) and Asia (Taiwan, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Korea, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Syria, Turkey). It was introduced into the northeastern United States prior to 1879 and has a range including Maine, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas.

These moths are associated with woodland, gardens and orchards. Zeuzera pyrina has a wingspan of 35–60 millimetres (1.4–2.4 in). They are a highly distinctive species. The length of the abdomen of the female is about 45–50 millimetres (1.8–2.0 in). The... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Sierra Nevada National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~10%
2 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%
3 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%
4 Sierra de Guadarrama National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~10%
5 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
6 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Bucharest 🇷🇴 Romania
~10%
2 Budapest 🇭🇺 Hungary
~10%
3 Vienna 🇦🇹 Austria
~10%
4 Essen 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
5 Belgrade 🇷🇸 Serbia
~10%
6 Porto 🇵🇹 Portugal
~10%
7 Paris 🇫🇷 France
~10%
8 Warsaw 🇵🇱 Poland
~10%
9 Istanbul 🇹🇷 Turkey
~10%
10 London 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%

Before you go

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

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Wood Leopard Moth sighting in New York City on a given day, based on 56 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 347th 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.

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

July

In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Wood Leopard Moth in New York City on a given day, against under 5% in August to June, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Wood Leopard Moth?

Between 10 pm and 1 am

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

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

26th of 28

Of the 28 cities where we can rate Wood Leopard Moth sightings, New York City ranks 26th at under 5%. The best odds are in Bucharest (Romania, about 10%), Budapest (Hungary, about 10%) and Vienna (Austria, about 10%).

Where does the Wood Leopard Moth sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Wood Leopard Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in New York City (56 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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