White-Dotted Prominent

White-Dotted Prominent

Nadata gibbosa

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Philadelphia

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

6 Verified sightings at Philadelphia
183 In all 9 parks From 2019 to 2026
August Best month
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted

About the White-Dotted Prominent

The rough prominent (Nadata gibbosa) is a moth of the family Notodontidae, subfamily Phalerinae. It is also known as the white-dotted prominent and the tawny prominent. The species was first described by James Edward Smith in 1797. This common moth is found across North America from the northern boreal forests to as far south as Florida. It is most common in deciduous forests at some elevation. It is nocturnal but attracted to lights. The moths start to fly soon after dusk and return to resting places some time before dawn breaks (Fullard & Napoleone 2001). The adults live through late spring and early summer, and larvae are active until fall. They then pupate until the following spring.

The moth is tan or dull orange, with two small silver spots on each forewing. The wingspan is approximately 2 inches (5 cm). It sports a pointed thoracic tuft between its wings. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Cape Breton Highlands National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
3 Gros Morne National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
4 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
6 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
7 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
8 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
9 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Baltimore 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
2 Boston 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
3 Washington 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
4 Vancouver 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
5 Minneapolis [Saint Paul] 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
6 Dallas 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
7 Chicago 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
8 Seattle 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
9 Philadelphia 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
10 New York City 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a White-Dotted Prominent in Philadelphia?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a White-Dotted Prominent sighting in Philadelphia on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 510th 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 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a White-Dotted Prominent in Philadelphia?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a White-Dotted Prominent in Philadelphia on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a White-Dotted Prominent?

Between 6 and 9 am

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

Is Philadelphia the best place to see a White-Dotted Prominent?

Among the best

Of the 13 cities where we can rate White-Dotted Prominent sightings, Philadelphia ranks 9th at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Baltimore (United States, under 5%), Boston (United States, under 5%) and Washington (United States, under 5%).

Which relatives of the White-Dotted Prominent live in Philadelphia?

Same order: Lepidoptera

The closest relatives of the White-Dotted Prominent that you can see in Philadelphia (order Lepidoptera, Butterflies and Moths) are Monarch (about 30%), Black Swallowtail (about 30%) and Small White (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the White-Dotted Prominent sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the White-Dotted Prominent is recorded against all the insects logged in Philadelphia (6 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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