Helastia cryptica
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Helastia cryptica is a moth of the family Geometridae. It was first described by Robin C. Craw in 1987. This species is endemic to New Zealand and is found from mid Canterbury south. This preferred habitat of H. cryptica is native forest and scrub at altitudes ranging from lowland to subalpine. It has also been observed in human modified habitat. The larvae of this species has been observed on Melicytus alpinus, likely feeding on perched dead leaves and have been hypothesised as feeding on epiphytic mosses. Adults are nocturnal and are on the wing from November until January. Externally this species is indistinguishable from its close relative H. cymozeucta. However the distribution of these two species can assist in the correct identification of specimens.
This species was first described by Craw in 1987. The male holotype, collected by Craw near the River Jordan in Paradise, Otago Lakes area, is held in the New Zealand Arthropod Collection. Craw described this species as follows:
Medium sized (r.f.l.10.4-13 mm) falcate forewing. Upper side fore- and hind wing coloration and pattern very variable ranging from reddish, green and brown to creamy white... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
More parks will be added in future updates.
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Helastia cryptica sighting in Fiordland National Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 147th 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.
November to January
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Helastia cryptica in Fiordland National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February to October, the lowest months.
Between midnight and 3 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Helastia cryptica 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.
Only Fiordland National Park, in our data
Fiordland National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Helastia cryptica sightings: about 10% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same genus: Helastia
The closest relatives of the Helastia cryptica that you can see in Fiordland National Park (genus Helastia) are Helastia cinerearia (about 10%), Helastia plumbea (about 10%) and Helastia corcularia (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Helastia cryptica is recorded against all the insects logged in Fiordland National Park (6 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.
