Horned Spanworm Moth

Horned Spanworm Moth

Nematocampa resistaria

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at San Antonio

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

7 Verified sightings at San Antonio
25 In all 2 parks From 2019 to 2026
April Best month
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted

About the Horned Spanworm Moth

Nematocampa resistaria, the filament bearer, bordered thorn or horned spanworm moth, is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Gottlieb August Wilhelm Herrich-Schäffer in 1856. It is found in North America from British Columbia to Nova Scotia, south to Florida and California.

This species was split from the Eurasian Nematocampa limbata. The wingspan is 19–25 mm. Adults are on wing from May (or April in the deep south) to August. There is one generation in the north, two generations in the middle states and multiple generations in the southern part of the range.

Larvae feed on various deciduous and coniferous trees and shrubs, including Pseudotsuga, Tsuga, Abies, Picea, Salix, Betula papyrifera, Corylus, Fragaria and carrot (Daucus). Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Austin 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Toronto 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
3 Minneapolis [Saint Paul] 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
4 Boston 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
5 Edmonton 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
6 Chicago 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
7 Houston 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
8 Montreal 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
9 New York City 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
10 San Antonio 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Horned Spanworm Moth in San Antonio?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Horned Spanworm Moth sighting in San Antonio on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 549th most-seen of the 697 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.

When is the best time to see a Horned Spanworm Moth in San Antonio?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Horned Spanworm Moth in San Antonio on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Horned Spanworm Moth?

Between 10 pm and 1 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Horned Spanworm Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.

Is San Antonio the best place to see a Horned Spanworm Moth?

10th of 11

Of the 11 cities where we can rate Horned Spanworm Moth sightings, San Antonio ranks 10th at under 5%. The best odds are in Austin (United States, about 10%), Toronto (Canada, under 5%) and Minneapolis [Saint Paul] (United States, under 5%).

Which relatives of the Horned Spanworm Moth live in San Antonio?

Same family: Geometridae

The closest relatives of the Horned Spanworm Moth that you can see in San Antonio (family Geometridae, Geometer Moths) are Swag-Lined Wave (about 10%), Pannaria Wave (about 10%) and Brown-Shaded Gray (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Horned Spanworm Moth sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Horned Spanworm Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in San Antonio (7 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.

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