Orthonama obstipata
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Orthonama obstipata, the gem, is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1794. It is a cosmopolitan species. In continental Europe though in the northeast, its range does not significantly extend beyond the Baltic region and it is absent from northern Russia. This well-flying species is prone to vagrancy and able to cross considerable distances of the open sea; it can thus be regularly found on the British Isles (though mainly in the south) and even on Iceland.
Under its junior synonyms Nycterosea brunneipennis and Geometra fluviata, the gem is the type species of genera Nycterosea and Percnoptilota, respectively. The latter is treated as a junior synonym of the former, but Nycterosea, though usually included in Orthonama these days, may warrant recognition as an independent genus after all.
The adult's wingspan is 18–21 mm (0.71–0.83 in); in their core range (e.g. Belgium and the Netherlands) they can be seen between April and November, but in outlying regions, they may only be regularly encountered in late summer and early autumn, when vagrant individuals abound. This species is strongly sexually... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Porto | 🇵🇹 Portugal | |
| 2 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Detroit | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 9 | Madrid | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 10 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Gem Moth sighting in Toronto on a given day, based on 91 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 257th most-seen of the 1689 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.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Gem Moth in Toronto 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 Gem Moth 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.
8th of 25
Of the 25 cities where we can rate Gem Moth sightings, Toronto ranks 8th at under 5%. The best odds are in Porto (Portugal, about 10%), Austin (United States, about 10%) and Baltimore (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Geometridae
The closest relatives of the Gem Moth that you can see in Toronto (family Geometridae, Geometer Moths) are Chickweed Geometer Moth (about 10%), Pale Beauty (about 10%) and Single-Dotted Wave (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Gem Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Toronto (91 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.
