Melipotis acontioides
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
Melipotis acontioides, the royal poinciana moth, is a species of moth in the family Erebidae. It was first described by Achille Guenée in 1852. The species is found from the southern United States (including California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Florida) through Mexico and Central America to Brazil, Argentina and the Galápagos Islands. It is also found in the Caribbean, including Cuba and the British Virgin Islands, Jamaica and Puerto Rico.
The wingspan is about 43 mm. The larvae feed on Delonix regia and Parkinsonia aculeata and Parkinsonia florida. The larvae feed at night. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 3 | Galápagos Islands | 🇪🇨 Ecuador |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Torreón | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 2 | Mesa | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Las Vegas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Phoenix | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Monterrey | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 7 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Royal Poinciana Graphic sighting in Death Valley National Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 71st most-seen of the 108 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Royal Poinciana Graphic in Death Valley National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June–October and December–February, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Royal Poinciana Graphic sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Royal Poinciana Graphic sightings, Death Valley National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Cumbres de Monterrey National Park (Mexico, under 5%) and Galápagos Islands (Ecuador, under 5%).
Same order: Lepidoptera
The closest relatives of the Royal Poinciana Graphic that you can see in Death Valley National Park (order Lepidoptera, Butterflies and Moths) are White-Lined Sphinx (about 80%), Painted Lady (about 40%) and Western Pygmy-Blue (about 40%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Royal Poinciana Graphic is recorded against all the insects logged in Death Valley National Park (6 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
