Petrophila confusalis
In 3 days ~10%
Petrophila confusalis, the confusing petrophila moth, is a semi-aquatic moth in the family Crambidae. It was described by Francis Walker in 1866. The length of the forewing is 5–11 mm. Adults are on wing from April to September.
Petrophila confusalis is found in North America, where it has been recorded from British Columbia, California, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. It can be found living in and around lotic or fast-moving streams.
Petrophila confusalis acts as a host for the parasitic aquatic wasp Tanychela pilosa. The wasp infects the pupal cocoon of P. confusalis. When infected, the wasp pupal cocoon can be observed within the moth pupal cocoon. Additionally, P. confusalis is preyed upon by small aquatic vertebrates.
During its caterpillar stage, P. confusalis feeds on green algae and diatoms, including Cladophora, Synedra ulna, and Gomphonema olivaceum, among others. “Grazing zones” used by P. confusalis are often quite large, and can contribute to epilithic spatial patchiness.
Habitat degradation due to anthropogenic... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks | 🇺🇸 United States |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sacramento | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Portland | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Calgary | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Confusing Petrophila sighting in San Francisco on a given day, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 458th most-seen of the 737 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Confusing Petrophila in San Francisco on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 9 pm and midnight
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Confusing Petrophila 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.
4th of 4
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Confusing Petrophila sightings, San Francisco ranks 4th at under 5%. The best odds are in Sacramento (United States, about 10%), Portland (United States, under 5%) and Calgary (Canada, under 5%).
Same family: Crambidae
The closest relatives of the Confusing Petrophila that you can see in San Francisco (family Crambidae, Crambid Snout Moths) are Genista Broom Moth (about 10%), Volupial Mint Moth (about 10%) and California Pyrausta Moth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Confusing Petrophila is recorded against all the insects logged in San Francisco (14 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.
