Catocala ilia
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Catocala ilia, the Ilia underwing, beloved underwing or wife underwing, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Pieter Cramer in 1776. It can be found in the eastern part of the United States as well as southern Canada. Subspecies Catocala ilia zoe can be found in California and Arizona.
The wingspan is 65–82 mm. A spot on its forewing with a distinct white circle which encompasses it distinguishes this moth from others in the same family. Otherwise, the forewing can be extremely variable. The underwing that it is named for can range in color from light orange to a deep red. The moths flies from June to September depending on the location.
The larvae feed on oak, including black, burr, red, and white oaks. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 9 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Ilia Underwing sighting in San Antonio on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 425th 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.
May
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Ilia Underwing in San Antonio on a given day, against under 5% in June to April, the lowest months. That is one of San Antonio's wettest months, with about 100 mm of rain against 35 mm in February.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Ilia Underwing sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Among the best
Of the 14 cities where we can rate Ilia Underwing sightings, San Antonio ranks 4th at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Austin (United States, under 5%), Baltimore (United States, under 5%) and Washington (United States, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Ilia Underwing is recorded against all the insects logged in San Antonio (13 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.
