Plutella xylostella
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella), sometimes called the cabbage moth, is a moth species of the family Plutellidae and genus Plutella. The small, grayish-brown moth sometimes has a cream-colored band that forms a diamond along its back. The species may have originated in Europe, South Africa, or the Mediterranean region, but it has now spread worldwide.
The moth has a short life cycle (14 days at 25 °C), is highly fecund, and is capable of migrating long distances. Diamondback moths are considered pests as they feed on the leaves of cruciferous crops and plants that produce glucosinolates. However, not all of these plants are equally useful as hosts to the moth. Because of this, studies have suggested using wintercress as a trap crop around agricultural fields because diamondback moths are highly attracted to that plant but their larvae fail to survive when eggs are laid on it.
Originally, pesticides were used to kill the moths but diamondbacks have developed resistance to many of the common chemicals. For this reason, new biological and chemical controls, as well as different planting methods, are being pursued to reduce the destruction caused by the moths. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rakiura National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 2 | Kanha National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 3 | Guadalupe Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Sierra Nevada National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 5 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 6 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 8 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 9 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 10 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 11 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 12 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 13 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 14 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Diamondback Moth sighting in Phoenix on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 180th most-seen of the 264 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.
December
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Diamondback Moth in Phoenix on a given day, against under 5% in January to November, the lowest months. That is one of Phoenix's wettest months, with about 30 mm of rain against almost none in June.
Between 9 pm and midnight
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Diamondback Moth 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.
77th of 89
Of the 89 cities where we can rate Diamondback Moth sightings, Phoenix ranks 77th at under 5%. The best odds are in Kuwait City (Kuwait, about 30%), Liverpool (United Kingdom, about 30%) and Tel Aviv (Israel, about 20%).
Same order: Lepidoptera
The closest relatives of the Diamondback Moth that you can see in Phoenix (order Lepidoptera, Butterflies and Moths) are Queen (about 40%), White-Lined Sphinx (about 20%) and Monarch (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Diamondback Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Phoenix (8 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.
