Epimecis hortaria
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Epimecis hortaria, the tulip-tree beauty, is a moth species of the Ennominae subfamily found in North America. It is found throughout New England south to Florida and west to Texas and Missouri. It was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1794. It can be seen flying from late March to early October. Adults are nocturnal and attracted to lights. The immature caterpillars can be found feeding on Magnolia, Asimina, Populus, Sassafras and Liriodendron. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Tulip-Tree Beauty sighting in Philadelphia on a given day, based on 25 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 208th most-seen of the 632 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.
April to July
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Tulip-Tree Beauty in Philadelphia on a given day, against under 5% in August to March, the lowest months.
Between midnight and 3 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Tulip-Tree Beauty 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.
3rd of 4
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Tulip-Tree Beauty sightings, Philadelphia ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Washington (United States, about 10%) and Baltimore (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Geometridae
The closest relatives of the Tulip-Tree Beauty that you can see in Philadelphia (family Geometridae, Geometer Moths) are Chickweed Geometer Moth (about 10%), Common Tan Wave (about 10%) and Juniper Geometer Moth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Tulip-Tree Beauty is recorded against all the insects logged in Philadelphia (25 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.
