Eudonia philerga
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Eudonia philerga is a species of moth of the family Crambidae. This species was first described by Edward Meyrick. It is endemic to New Zealand, found throughout the country, and regarded as common. Larvae feed on moss. Adult moths have been observed on the wing more frequently from October to April, and are attracted to light.
This species was named Scoparia philerga by Edward Meyrick in 1884. Meyrick gave a detailed description of the adult moth in 1885. George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species in his 1928 publication The butterflies and moths of New Zealand. In 1988 John S. Dugdale placed this species in the genus Eudonia. The male holotype specimen, collected at Lake Wakatipu, is held at the Natural History Museum, London.
The larvae of E. philerga are about 1⁄2 inch long and coloured a dull dark green with a head that is reddish brown. They have large blackish green protuberances. This colouration provides excellent camouflage as, when still, larvae are difficult to see amongst their host plant. The pupa is formed amongst moss and surrounded by a thin cocoon.
Hudson described the adult of the species as follows: The expansion of the... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rakiura National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 2 | Arthur's Pass National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 3 | Egmont National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 4 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auckland | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Eudonia philerga sighting in Fiordland National Park on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 64th 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 Eudonia philerga in Fiordland National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February and April–October, the lowest months.
Between 9 pm and midnight
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Eudonia philerga 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.
4th of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Eudonia philerga sightings, Fiordland National Park ranks 4th at about 10%. The best odds are in Rakiura National Park (New Zealand, about 20%), Arthur's Pass National Park (New Zealand, about 10%) and Egmont National Park (New Zealand, about 10%).
Same genus: Eudonia
The closest relatives of the Eudonia philerga that you can see in Fiordland National Park (genus Eudonia) are Greater Orange-Spot Scoparia (about 10%), Bold Scoparia (about 10%) and Eudonia feredayi (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Eudonia philerga is recorded against all the insects logged in Fiordland National Park (12 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.
