Chloroclystis filata
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Chloroclystis filata, the Australian pug moth, is a species of moth of the family Geometridae. It is native to Australia and is found in the south eastern quarter of Australia and on Norfolk Island. It self-introduced itself to New Zealand in 1960. In Australia host plants are acacias (the blossoms) and Fabaceae (the petals).
This species was first described by Achille Guenée in 1857 and originally named Eupithecia filata. In 1958 L. B. Prout discussed this species under the name Chloroclystis albiplaga as an aberration of filata. The placement of this species in the genus Chloroclystis is in doubt. As a result, this species has also been referred to as Chloroclystis (s.l.) filata. The male holotype specimen is held at the Natural History Museum, London.
This species has a wingspan of between 20 and 25 mm. It has forewings that are brownish in colour. This species is variable with some specimens having the whole of their forewing being brown, pinkish brown or a black shade. Other specimens of this species have large white patches in the middle to lower portion of their forewings. This species can be distinguished from other species with a similar appearance... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Rakiura National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 3 | Egmont National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 4 | Arthur's Pass National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 5 | Abel Tasman National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 6 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 7 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Australian Pug Moth sighting in Egmont National Park on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 79th most-seen of the 191 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
December
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report an Australian Pug Moth in Egmont National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February and April–November, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Australian Pug 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.
3rd of 7
Of the 7 parks where we can rate Australian Pug Moth sightings, Egmont National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Great Otway National Park (Australia, about 20%) and Rakiura National Park (New Zealand, about 20%).
Same family: Geometridae
The closest relatives of the Australian Pug Moth that you can see in Egmont National Park (family Geometridae, Geometer Moths) are Forest Semilooper (about 20%), Oblique-Waved Fern Looper (about 20%) and Common Forest Looper (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Australian Pug Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Egmont National Park (9 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.
