Mocis frugalis
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Mocis frugalis, the sugarcane looper, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1775. It is found in several parts of the world, including India, Sri Lanka, West African countries and other Oriental regions. The adult is a fruit piercer and a major pest of crops.
In a recent publication[1] Mocis proverai, that is found in Africa and on the Arabian peninsula has been promoted to a separate species. Both species can be distinguished by microscopic examination of their genitalia. Its wingspan is 36–50 millimetres (1.4–2.0 in). Male with the hind tibia and tarsi clothed with long thick pile. It has a grey-brown body. Forewing with a diffused dark mark above the centre of vein 1; an oblique postmedial line pale inwardly, red brown outwardly; a submarginal series of black specks. Hindwing with postmedial and diffused submarginal lines. Some specimens have a black spot above inner margin of forewing before the middle.
Larva pale yellowish ochreous, with darker lines. Two subdorsal lines present and with a sublateral series of olivaceous spots. The 4th and 5th somites are edged behind with black. Food... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kanha National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 2 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jamshedpur | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 2 | Prayagraj | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 3 | Brisbane | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Colombo [Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte] | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 5 | Tuen Mun | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 6 | Kochi | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 7 | Pune | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 8 | Chennai | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 9 | Kolkata | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 10 | Bengaluru | 🇮🇳 India |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Sugarcane Looper sighting in Taipei on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 570th most-seen of the 765 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.
November
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Sugarcane Looper in Taipei on a given day, against under 5% in December to October, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Sugarcane Looper sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
15th of 16
Of the 16 cities where we can rate Sugarcane Looper sightings, Taipei ranks 15th at under 5%. The best odds are in Jamshedpur (India, about 30%), Prayagraj (India, about 10%) and Brisbane (Australia, about 10%).
Same family: Erebidae
The closest relatives of the Sugarcane Looper that you can see in Taipei (family Erebidae, Underwing, Tiger, Tussock, and Allied Moths) are Asota heliconia (about 20%), Chrysaeglia magnifica (about 20%) and Banyan Tussock Moth (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Sugarcane Looper is recorded against all the insects logged in Taipei (8 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.
