Autographa californica
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Autographa californica, the alfalfa looper, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Adolph Speyer in 1875. It is found in western North America from southern British Columbia to Baja California and to Manitoba, South Dakota, Colorado and New Mexico.
The wingspan is 36–42 mm. The moth flies from July to October depending on the location. The larvae feed on a wide range of plants. Recorded food plants include species of families Apiaceae, Aquifoliaceae, Asteraceae, Boraginaceae, Brassicaceae, Caprifoliaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Ericaceae, Eschscholzia, Fabaceae, Grossulariaceae, Liliaceae, Lamiaceae, Linaceae, Malvaceae, Plantaginaceae, Poaceae, Podocarpaceae, Polygonaceae, Rhamnaceae, Rosaceae, Rutaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Solanaceae and Verbenaceae. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Banff National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Jasper National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Glacier National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Grand Teton National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Olympic National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Calgary | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Edmonton | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Sacramento | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Portland | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Salt Lake City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Vancouver | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | Las Vegas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Seattle | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Alfalfa Looper sighting in Sacramento on a given day, based on 40 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 117th most-seen of the 386 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February–May and October–November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Alfalfa Looper in Sacramento on a given day, against under 5% in June–September and December–January, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Alfalfa Looper sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 11 cities where we can rate Alfalfa Looper sightings, Sacramento ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Calgary (Canada, about 10%) and Edmonton (Canada, about 10%).
Same family: Noctuidae
The closest relatives of the Alfalfa Looper that you can see in Sacramento (family Noctuidae, Cutworm Moths and Allies) are Large Yellow Underwing (about 10%), Armyworm Moth (about 10%) and Subterranean Dart (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Alfalfa Looper is recorded against all the insects logged in Sacramento (40 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.
