Syntomeida epilais
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Syntomeida epilais, the polka-dot wasp moth or oleander moth, is a species of moth thought to be native to the Caribbean. Its larvae feed on the oleander plant. Like most wasp moths, these are day fliers. They prefer Neotropic areas, to which they are native. The North American subspecies is S. epilais jucundissima, which is locally common in all areas of Florida, and has been seen as far north as South Carolina, and west to Mississippi and Texas.
They are dark metallic blue with white polka-dots on the wings and upper abdomen, and the tip of the abdomen is bright red. This mimicry makes it look like a dangerous wasp, while in fact being a harmless moth. The caterpillars are orange or dark orange with long black hairs making the caterpillars look dangerous, but the setae do not inflict any harm.
Females contact male polka-dot wasp moths by means of ultrasonic signals. On the branch, the sound travels, and then the male follows the sound to his new mate. When he reaches her, he emits an answering signal. After mating, the females find a plant on which to lay their eggs. Groups of from 12 to 75 eggs are laid on the undersides of the oleander... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Polka-Dot Wasp Moth sighting in Orlando on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 131st most-seen of the 294 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July–August and October–November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Polka-Dot Wasp Moth in Orlando on a given day, against under 5% in September and December–June, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Polka-Dot Wasp Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Polka-Dot Wasp Moth sightings, Orlando ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Miami (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Erebidae
The closest relatives of the Polka-Dot Wasp Moth that you can see in Orlando (family Erebidae, Underwing, Tiger, Tussock, and Allied Moths) are Spotted Oleander Moth (about 10%) and Fir Tussock Moth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Polka-Dot Wasp Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Orlando (13 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.
