Hydriomena arida
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
Hydriomena arida, also known as the Gunnera carpet moth, is a species of moth in the family Geometridae. It was first described by Arthur Gardiner Butler in 1879. This species is endemic to New Zealand. It is found in both the South and Stewart Islands where it inhabits native forest. It has been observed at up to 3000 ft. Larvae feed on Gunnera monoica. Adults of this species are on the wing from December until February and are nocturnal and attracted to light. This species is regarded as being uncommon.
This species was first described by Arthur Gardiner Butler in 1879 using specimens collected by Frederick Wollaston Hutton in Dunedin and named Melanthia arida. In 1883 Edward Meyrick, thinking he was describing a new species, named this species as Cidaria chaotica. Meyrick synonymised this name into Cidaria arida in 1884. George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species under the name Hydriomena arida in both his 1898 book New Zealand moths and butterflies (Macro-lepidoptera) and his 1928 book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand. It has been hypothesised that species belongs to another genus and so this species is also currently known as Hydriomena (s.l.... 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 Gunnera Carpet sighting in Fiordland National Park on a given day, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 96th 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 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Gunnera Carpet in Fiordland National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March to October, the lowest months.
Between 10 pm and 1 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Gunnera Carpet 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.
Among the best
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Gunnera Carpet 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: Hydriomena
The closest relatives of the Gunnera Carpet that you can see in Fiordland National Park (genus Hydriomena) are Hydriomena hemizona (about 10%), Green & Purple Carpet (about 10%) and Hydriomena rixata (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Gunnera Carpet is recorded against all the insects logged in Fiordland National Park (11 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.
