Dasypodia selenophora
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Dasypodia selenophora, the southern old lady moth, southern moon moth, or granny moth, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Achille Guenée in 1852. It is found in the southern half of Australia, as well as Norfolk Island, New Zealand and Macquarie Island.
The adult may be a range of brown shades, with large black and blue eyespots on the centre of the forewings. The body is hairy. The wingspan is about 90 mm. The southern old lady moth is commonly observed during the day in dark areas of homes and other buildings.
The larvae have long brown stripes along the body and short stiff hairs. They feed on Acacia species, including Tan Wattle (Acacia decurrens), Cootamundra Wattle (Acacia baileyana), Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha), and Silver Wattle (Acacia dealbata). Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Flinders Ranges National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Kosciuszko National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Ningaloo Marine Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Hattah-Kulkyne National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Moon Moth sighting in Sydney on a given day, based on 57 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 160th most-seen of the 742 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September to December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Moon Moth in Sydney on a given day, against under 5% in January to August, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Southern Moon Moth 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.
3rd of 4
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Southern Moon Moth sightings, Sydney ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Perth (Australia, about 20%) and Melbourne (Australia, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Southern Moon Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Sydney (57 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.
