Ascalapha odorata
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
The erebid moth Ascalapha odorata, commonly known as the black witch, is a large bat-shaped, dark-colored nocturnal moth, normally ranging from the southern United States to Brazil. Ascalapha odorata is also migratory into Canada and most states of the United States. It is the largest noctuoid in the continental United States. In the folklore of many Central and South American cultures, it is associated with death or misfortune.
Female moths can attain a wingspan of 24 cm. The dorsal surfaces of their wings are mottled brown with hints of iridescent purple and pink, and, in females, crossed by a white bar. The diagnostic marking is a small spot on each forewing shaped like a number nine or a comma. This spot is often green with orange highlights. Males are somewhat smaller, reaching 12 cm in width, darker in color and lacking the white bar crossing the wings. The larva is a large caterpillar up to 7 cm in length with intricate patterns of black and greenish-brown spots and stripes.
The black witch lives from the southern United States, Mexico and Central America to Brazil, and even Argentina. Also, the moth has apparently been introduced... Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valencia | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | |
| 2 | Quito | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 3 | Havana | 🇨🇺 Cuba | |
| 4 | San Pedro Sula | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 5 | Toluca | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 6 | Tegucigalpa | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 7 | Cali | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 8 | Puebla | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 9 | Santa Cruz de la Sierra | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 10 | Managua | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Black Witch sighting in Quito on a given day, based on 110 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 6th most-seen of the 83 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January
In that month about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Black Witch in Quito on a given day, against under 5% in May, the lowest month. That is one of Quito's wettest months, with about 140 mm of rain against 25 mm in August.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black Witch sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Among the best
Of the 66 cities where we can rate Black Witch sightings, Quito ranks 2nd at about 40%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Valencia (Venezuela, about 40%).
Same family: Erebidae
The closest relatives of the Black Witch that you can see in Quito (family Erebidae, Underwing, Tiger, Tussock, and Allied Moths) are Chrysocale regalis (about 10%), Owl Moth (about 10%) and Cyanopepla micans (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black Witch is recorded against all the insects logged in Quito (110 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.
