Plagiomimicus spumosum
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Plagiomimicus spumosum, the frothy moth, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1874. It is found in North America, where it has a transcontinental range in the United States, north to southern Ontario and southern Alberta.
The wingspan is 33–40 mm. Adults are on wing in mid-summer in one generation per year. The larvae feed on Helianthus annuus. They burrow into the head of the host plant and feed on the seeds. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Salt Lake City | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Frothy Moth sighting in Salt Lake City on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 149th most-seen of the 242 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.
August
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Frothy Moth in Salt Lake City on a given day, against under 5% in September to July, the lowest months. That is one of Salt Lake City's driest months, with about 25 mm of rain against 70 mm in December.
Only Salt Lake City, in our data
Salt Lake City is the only city on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Frothy Moth sightings: under 5% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same family: Noctuidae
The closest relatives of the Frothy Moth that you can see in Salt Lake City (family Noctuidae, Cutworm Moths and Allies) are Large Yellow Underwing (about 10%) and Alfalfa Looper (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Frothy Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Salt Lake City (9 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.
