Orthoclydon praefectata
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Orthoclydon praefectata, the flax looper moth or flax window maker, is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is endemic to New Zealand. The wing span of this species is 38–45 mm. The male moth is a pale brown and the female a glossy white.
O. praefectata was first described by Francis Walker under the name Acidalia praefectata. George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species in 1898 under the name Xanthorhoe praefectata. This moth is endemic to and is widely distributed throughout New Zealand.
The habitat/food plant for this moth is the New Zealand native flax Phormium tenax. Eggs are straw coloured and are laid on the underside of the flax leaf. The caterpillar is brown/green. It has three dark red lines on its back and a yellow line on each flank. When fully grown it is approximately 2.5 cm long.
Adult moths are seen in all the summer months. They are attracted to light and have been collected via a mercury vapour light trap. The larvae of this species are known to be parasitised by wasps such as Netelia ephippiata, Lissopimpla excelsa and Rogas. They are also known... 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 Flax Window-Maker sighting in Fiordland National Park on a given day, based on 13 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.
July
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Flax Window-Maker in Fiordland National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April–June and August–October, the lowest months.
Between 10 pm and 1 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Flax Window-Maker 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.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Flax Window-Maker sightings, Fiordland National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Rakiura National Park (New Zealand, about 20%).
Same family: Geometridae
The closest relatives of the Flax Window-Maker that you can see in Fiordland National Park (family Geometridae, Geometer Moths) are Lacebark Looper (about 20%), Forest Semilooper (about 20%) and Brown Forest Flash (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Flax Window-Maker is recorded against all the insects logged in Fiordland National Park (13 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.
