Melipotis acontioides
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Melipotis acontioides, the royal poinciana moth, is a species of moth in the family Erebidae. It was first described by Achille Guenée in 1852. The species is found from the southern United States (including California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Florida) through Mexico and Central America to Brazil, Argentina and the Galápagos Islands. It is also found in the Caribbean, including Cuba and the British Virgin Islands, Jamaica and Puerto Rico.
The wingspan is about 43 mm. The larvae feed on Delonix regia and Parkinsonia aculeata and Parkinsonia florida. The larvae feed at night. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 3 | Galápagos Islands | 🇪🇨 Ecuador |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Torreón | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 2 | Mesa | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Las Vegas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Phoenix | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Monterrey | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 7 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Royal Poinciana Graphic sighting in San Antonio on a given day, based on 20 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 327th 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.
August
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Royal Poinciana Graphic in San Antonio on a given day, against under 5% in September to July, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Royal Poinciana Graphic sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
7th of 10
Of the 10 cities where we can rate Royal Poinciana Graphic sightings, San Antonio ranks 7th at under 5%. The best odds are in Torreón (México, about 10%), Mesa (United States, about 10%) and Las Vegas (United States, about 10%).
Same genus: Melipotis
The closest relatives of the Royal Poinciana Graphic that you can see in San Antonio (genus Melipotis) are Indomitable Graphic Moth (about 10%) and Cellar Graphic (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Royal Poinciana Graphic is recorded against all the insects logged in San Antonio (20 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.
