Epiphyas postvittana
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The light brown apple moth (Epiphyas postvittana), often abbreviated to LBAM, is a leafroller moth belonging to the lepidopteran family Tortricidae. Light brown apple moth adults are variable in colour and may be confused with other leafroller moths and similar species. DNA analysis is currently required to positively identify the species that are otherwise indistinguishable on gross characteristics from other moths of similar species. Typical males have a forewing length of 6–10 mm with a light brown area at the base, which is distinguishable from a much darker, red-brown area at the tip. The latter may be absent, with the moth appearing uniformly light brown, as in the females, which have only slightly darker oblique markings distinguishing the area at the tip of the wing. Females have a forewing length of 7–13 mm.
Larvae are not easily distinguished from the larvae of other tortricid leafrollers; only DNA testing is a certain identification method. The first larval instar has a dark brown head; all other instars have a light fawn head and prothoracic plate. Overwintering larvae are darker. First instar larvae are approximately 1... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | Birmingham | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 4 | Manchester | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 5 | Auckland | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 6 | Dublin | 🇮🇪 Ireland | |
| 7 | Leeds | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 8 | Melbourne | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Light Brown Apple Moth sighting in San Francisco on a given day, based on 54 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 230th most-seen of the 737 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.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Light Brown Apple Moth in San Francisco on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Light Brown Apple Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
9th of 10
Of the 10 cities where we can rate Light Brown Apple Moth sightings, San Francisco ranks 9th at under 5%. The best odds are in Liverpool (United Kingdom, about 50%), London (United Kingdom, about 20%) and Birmingham (United Kingdom, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Light Brown Apple Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in San Francisco (54 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.
