Helastia semisignata
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
Helastia semisignata is a moth of the family Geometridae. This species is endemic to New Zealand and is only found in the North Island. The life history of this species is in need of further investigation as sources differ about what plants host the larvae. Adults are on the wing commonly from October until March.
It was first described by Francis Walker in 1862 using specimens collected by A. Sinclair in Auckland and originally named Larentia semisignata. In 1877 Arthur Gardiner Butler synonymised Cidaria dissociate and Cidaria semisilata with L. semisignata. In the same publication Butler also mistakenly synonymised Larentia corcularia with L. semisignata. This taxonomic error was correct by R. C. Craw in 1987. In 1912 L. B. Prout placed this species in the genus Xanthorhoe. This placement was followed by George Hudson in his 1928 book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand. Subsequently, in 1971, J. S. Dugdale placed this species in the genus Helastia. R. C. Craw confirmed this placement in his revision of the genus in 1987. The male holotype is held at the Natural History Museum, London.
Walker described this species as follows: Cinereous, minutely... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Egmont National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
More parks will be added in future updates.
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Helastia semisignata sighting in Egmont National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 153rd most-seen of the 191 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.
March and October
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Helastia semisignata in Egmont National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April–September and November–December, the lowest months.
Between 9 pm and midnight
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Helastia semisignata 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.
Only Egmont National Park, in our data
Egmont National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Helastia semisignata sightings: about 10% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Helastia semisignata is recorded against all the insects logged in Egmont National Park (5 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.
