Vitula edmandsii
In 3 days ~10%
Vitula edmandsii, the American wax moth or dried fruit moth, is a species of snout moth in the genus Vitula. It is found in eastern North America. It was described by Packard in 1865 who mentions early records from the USA, specifically in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Bridgeport, Connecticut - the latter where the larvae were first found in bee's nests.
In the past, some taxonomists have referred to the beehive honey moth as part of the same group, those at times claimed to be a subspecies Vitula edmandsii serratilineella Packard, 1887. Those others are instead only found in western North America, but also are found Central Europe (e.g. Germany, Denmark and Fennoscandia, where older records may list it as Vitula edmandsii
When any are referred to by the common name dried fruit moth or dried-fruit moth, there may be further confusion with Cadra calidella, another "dried fruit moth". The wingspan is 20–25 mm (after Packard, 1865). The species has brownish hindwings. It invades beehives but is not known to be a true pest of stored-products. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Dried Fruit Moth sighting in Washington on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 1649th most-seen of the 1807 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Dried Fruit Moth in Washington on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Among the best
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Dried Fruit Moth sightings, Washington ranks 3rd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Toronto (Canada, under 5%) and New York City (United States, under 5%).
Same family: Pyralidae
The closest relatives of the Dried Fruit Moth that you can see in Washington (family Pyralidae, Pyralid Snout Moths) are Meal Moth (about 10%) and Yellow-Fringed Dolichomia Moth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Dried Fruit Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Washington (5 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.
