Citrus Looper

Citrus Looper

Ascotis selenaria

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Vienna

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%

26 Verified sightings at Vienna
17 In 1 park From 2019 to 2026
May Best month
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted

About the Citrus Looper

Ascotis selenaria, the giant looper, is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Michael Denis and Ignaz Schiffermüller in 1775. Ascotis selenaria dianaria (Hübner, 1817) Ascotis selenaria selenaria (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775)

The front wings are characterized by a yellowish-white ground color, with numerous dark grey markings and two brownish sharply toothed transverse lines. The front and rear wings show distinctive moon shaped spots. The color and pattern of the caterpillars vary from green to yellow/green or brown resembling twigs. They have a characteristic bulbous swelling on the thorax and move with a looping motion as usual in measuring worms.

The giant looper has two generations per year in southern Europe, flying from April to May and from July to August. However, further North it's possible that they only fly in one generation. They are attracted to light. The caterpillars can be found from September to... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%

More parks will be added in future updates.

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kyiv 🇺🇦 Ukraine
~10%
2 Lyon 🇫🇷 France
<5%
3 Milan 🇮🇹 Italy
<5%
4 Vienna 🇦🇹 Austria
<5%
5 Beijing 🇨🇳 China
<5%
6 Tokyo 🇯🇵 Japan
<5%
7 Hong Kong 🇨🇳 China
<5%
8 Moscow 🇷🇺 Russia
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Citrus Looper in Vienna?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Citrus Looper sighting in Vienna on a given day, based on 26 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 495th most-seen of the 1406 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.

When is the best time to see a Citrus Looper in Vienna?

May–June and August

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Citrus Looper in Vienna on a given day, against under 5% in July and September–April, the lowest months. Those are among Vienna's wettest months, with about 85 mm of rain a month against 40 mm in February.

What time of day is best to see a Citrus Looper?

Between midnight and 3 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Citrus Looper sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.

Is Vienna the best place to see a Citrus Looper?

4th of 8

Of the 8 cities where we can rate Citrus Looper sightings, Vienna ranks 4th at under 5%. The best odds are in Kyiv (Ukraine, about 10%), Lyon (France, under 5%) and Milan (Italy, under 5%).

Which relatives of the Citrus Looper live in Vienna?

Same family: Geometridae

The closest relatives of the Citrus Looper that you can see in Vienna (family Geometridae, Geometer Moths) are Mottled Umber (about 20%), Small Dusty Wave (about 10%) and Willow Beauty (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Citrus Looper sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Citrus Looper is recorded against all the insects logged in Vienna (26 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.

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