Cotton Stem Moth

Cotton Stem Moth

Platyedra subcinerea

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at San Diego

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

29 Verified sightings at San Diego
8 In 1 park From 2019 to 2026
July Best month
🌙 Nocturnal When it's spotted

About the Cotton Stem Moth

Platyedra subcinerea, the mallow groundling or cotton stem moth, is a moth of the family Gelechiidae. It is found in most of Europe. It is an in introduced species in North America, where it has been recorded from New England and California, and has also been introduced to New Zealand. The habitat consists of wet meadows, marshes and gardens.

The wingspan is 14–21 mm. The larvae feed on Parietaria officinalis, Urtica species, Althaea officinalis, Lavatera thuringiaca and Malva sylvestris. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%

More parks will be added in future updates.

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Portland 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
2 San Diego 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
3 Seattle 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
4 London 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%
5 Toronto 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
6 San Francisco 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Cotton Stem Moth in San Diego?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Cotton Stem Moth sighting in San Diego on a given day, based on 29 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 242nd most-seen of the 693 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 Cotton Stem Moth in San Diego?

Any time of year

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

What time of day is best to see a Cotton Stem Moth?

Between 7 and 10 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Cotton Stem Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.

Is San Diego the best place to see a Cotton Stem Moth?

Among the best

Of the 6 cities where we can rate Cotton Stem Moth sightings, San Diego ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Portland (United States, under 5%).

Where does the Cotton Stem Moth sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Cotton Stem Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in San Diego (29 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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