Chrysodeixis chalcites
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Chrysodeixis chalcites, the tomato looper or golden twin-spot moth, is a moth of the family Noctuidae, subfamily Plusiinae. It mainly lives in southern Europe, the Levant and tropical Africa, but can be seen migrating across much of Europe. In 2013, it was spotted in Canada. It is an important horticultural pest in New Zealand.
The length of the forewings is 15–18 mm. The moth flies from June to October.[1] The larvae feed on various herbaceous plants, such as Echium vulgare, Apium, Rubus, tomato, Fragaria and tobacco which is why it is perceived as a pest.
Chrysodeixis chalcites and Chrysodeixis eriosoma moths cannot be separated morphologically and they may be sibling species. They are distinguished by DNA, pheromones and geographic origin, as C. chalcites is found in the palearctic and C. eriosoma in the tropics and subtropics. The literature referring to C. chalcites in southern and eastern Asia or Oceania may actually refer to C. eriosoma. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
More parks will be added in future updates.
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Tomato Looper sighting in Tel Aviv on a given day, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 113th most-seen of the 264 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July–August and October–May
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Tomato Looper in Tel Aviv on a given day, against under 5% in June and September, the lowest months.
Between 4 and 7 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Tomato Looper sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
Among the best
Of the 14 cities where we can rate Tomato Looper sightings, Tel Aviv ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Turin (Italy, about 10%) and Milan (Italy, about 10%).
Same family: Noctuidae
The closest relatives of the Tomato Looper that you can see in Tel Aviv (family Noctuidae, Cutworm Moths and Allies) are Silver Υ (about 10%), The Bordered Straw (about 10%) and Cucullia calendulae (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Tomato Looper is recorded against all the insects logged in Tel Aviv (15 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.
