Pseudocoremia leucelaea
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Pseudocoremia leucelaea, also known as the forest looper, conifer flash or the white-marked brown, is a species of moth in the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1909. It only occurs in New Zealand, where it is found in the North, South and Stewart Islands. This species inhabits both native and non-native conifer forests. The larvae feed on the leaves of a variety of conifers. Larvae are nocturnal; during the day they cling to twigs with their prolegs holding their bodies rigidly extended. This posture, as well as the colouration of the larva, helps it avoid detection. The larvae have been shown to be parasitised by a parasitic wasp in the genus Glyptapanteles. This species pupates in soil or leaf litter underneath host plants. Adults are variable in appearance and are on the wing throughout the year. They are nocturnal and are attracted to light. A longitudinal study indicated this moth suffered a population decline in the study area in Lower Hutt the mid-1980s, from which the population did not recover. It has been hypothesised that this decline was caused by the arrival of the wasp species Vespula vulgaris in New Zealand.
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| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rakiura National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 2 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auckland | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Forest Looper sighting in Fiordland National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 128th most-seen of the 201 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Forest Looper in Fiordland National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January–February, May–July, September and November, the lowest months.
Between 10 pm and 1 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Forest Looper sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
Among the best
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Forest Looper 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: Pseudocoremia
The closest relatives of the Forest Looper that you can see in Fiordland National Park (genus Pseudocoremia) are Brown Forest Flash (about 20%), Common Forest Looper (about 20%) and Pseudocoremia terrena (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Forest Looper is recorded against all the insects logged in Fiordland National Park (7 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.
