Harrisina metallica
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Harrisina metallica, the western grapeleaf skeletonizer, is a species of moth of the family Zygaenidae. It is found in the Southwestern United States, from California to Texas, north to Colorado and Utah and in northern Mexico.
The wingspan is 22–30 millimetres (0.87–1.18 in). Adults are on wing from April to October depending on the location. The larvae feed on grapes and species of Parthenocissus. Some choose to call these larvae "grape worms" because of their impeccable taste for such a sweet fruit they're laid upon by their parents. The caterpillar also have stinging hairs that can cause rash or allergic reaction.
They are in fact natures pest to precious to many grape vineyards affecting the crops yield for the season. The problem can be simply taken care of by bacteria-based insecticide, organically certified. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Western Grapeleaf Skeletonizer Moth sighting in Phoenix on a given day, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 149th 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.
April and May
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Western Grapeleaf Skeletonizer Moth in Phoenix on a given day, against under 5% in June to March, the lowest months. Those are among Phoenix's driest months, with about 5 mm of rain a month against 35 mm in January.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Western Grapeleaf Skeletonizer Moth sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 6
Of the 6 cities where we can rate Western Grapeleaf Skeletonizer Moth sightings, Phoenix ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Las Vegas (United States, about 10%) and Mesa (United States, about 10%).
Same order: Lepidoptera
The closest relatives of the Western Grapeleaf Skeletonizer 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 Western Grapeleaf Skeletonizer Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Phoenix (11 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.
