Esperia sulphurella
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Esperia sulphurella, also known as the sulphur tubic, is a species of gelechioid moth in the family Oecophoridae. It is native to Europe, but has been introduced in California. Adults have a body length of 6–8 millimetres (0.24–0.31 in), and its wingspan is 12–16 millimetres (0.47–0.63 in). The wingspan is between 12 and 16 millimeters. They have a dark brown ground colour. The forewing has a pale yellow marking. The predominantly pale yellow hind wings are dark brown at the tips. At about two-thirds of the length of the antennae, the antennae have a white band.
They are on wing in spring. The larvae are black and feed on dead wood. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Birmingham | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | Rome | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 4 | Istanbul | 🇹🇷 Turkey | |
| 5 | Brussels | 🇧🇪 Belgium | |
| 6 | Paris | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 7 | Liverpool | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 8 | Lyon | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 9 | Sacramento | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Essen | 🇩🇪 Germany |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Sulphur Tubic sighting in Sacramento on a given day, based on 18 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 170th 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 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February to April
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Sulphur Tubic in Sacramento on a given day, against under 5% in May to January, the lowest months. Those are among Sacramento's wettest months, with about 80 mm of rain a month against almost none in July.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Sulphur Tubic sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
9th of 15
Of the 15 cities where we can rate Sulphur Tubic sightings, Sacramento ranks 9th at under 5%. The best odds are in London (United Kingdom, about 10%), Birmingham (United Kingdom, about 10%) and Rome (Italy, about 10%).
Same order: Lepidoptera
The closest relatives of the Sulphur Tubic that you can see in Sacramento (order Lepidoptera, Butterflies and Moths) are Pipevine Swallowtail (about 30%), Gulf Fritillary (about 30%) and Western Tiger Swallowtail (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Sulphur Tubic is recorded against all the insects logged in Sacramento (18 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.
