Schinia pulchripennis
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Schinia pulchripennis, or the common flower moth, is a moth of the family Noctuidae that is distributed throughout North America, including California and Nevada. Reproduction and development of the moth mainly occurs on Orthocarpus purascens of the plant family Orobanchaceae. This plant is also the larvae's food source. In addition to O. puprascens, S. pulchripennis also consumes the nectar on a variety of other plants.
S. pulchripennis have magenta forewings with pale yellow regions and dark brown hind wings with a white center. Additionally, the top of their thorax contains purple, grey, and black hair. Contrarily, the bottom of their thorax and abdomen contain yellow hair. The moth also has a wingspan that ranges from 17-21 mm.
The habitats of the moth include the desert (e.g. Mojave desert) and cismontane California. Prior to reproduction, females remain at the blossom of O. pupurascens until a male approaches them to mate. Generally, females lay their eggs and place them between the blossom and the bract of the food plant. Compared to other species (e.g. Helicoverpa), Schinia lay relatively... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sacramento | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Schinia pulchripennis sighting in Sacramento on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 238th most-seen of the 386 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.
March and April
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Schinia pulchripennis in Sacramento on a given day, against under 5% in May to February, the lowest months. Those are among Sacramento's wettest months, with about 70 mm of rain a month against almost none in July.
Only Sacramento, in our data
Sacramento is the only city on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Schinia pulchripennis sightings: under 5% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same family: Noctuidae
The closest relatives of the Schinia pulchripennis 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 Schinia pulchripennis is recorded against all the insects logged in Sacramento (10 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.
