Scoparia ustimacula
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Scoparia ustimacula, also known as the black-marked brown Scoparia moth, is a species of moth in the family Crambidae. It was described by Cajetan Felder, Rudolf Felder and Alois Friedrich Rogenhofer in 1875. It is endemic to New Zealand and can be found in the North, South and Stewart Islands. This species inhabits dense native forest at altitudes from sea level to approximately 1000 m. Although little is known of the life history of this species, larvae have been observed feeding on Hydrocotyle species. Adults are on the wing year round but are more commonly observed from September to March. Adults are nocturnal, are attracted to light and have been collected by beating scrub.
This species was first described by Cajetan Felder, Rudolf Felder and Alois Friedrich Rogenhofer in 1875 using specimens collected in Nelson by T. R. Oxley. Arthur Gardiner Butler, thinking he was describing a new species, named it Scoparia conifera in 1879. Edward Meyrick synonymised this name in 1884 and detailed the reasons for this decision in 1885. George Hudson described and illustrated the species in his 1928 book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand. The male holotype is held at... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rakiura National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 2 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Boot Scoparia sighting in Fiordland National Park on a given day, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 52nd most-seen of the 201 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 20% of wildlife watchers report a Boot Scoparia in Fiordland National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April to September, the lowest months.
Between 9 pm and midnight
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Boot Scoparia sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
Among the best
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Boot Scoparia sightings, Fiordland National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Rakiura National Park (New Zealand, about 10%).
Same genus: Scoparia
The closest relatives of the Boot Scoparia that you can see in Fiordland National Park (genus Scoparia) are Scoparia minusculalis (about 10%), Scoparia rotuellus (about 10%) and Scoparia subitus (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Boot Scoparia is recorded against all the insects logged in Fiordland National Park (15 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.
