Physetica caerulea
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Physetica caerulea is a species of moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and can be found from the centre of the North Island south, including the South and Stewart Islands. The adult moths are variable in appearance but can be distinguished by the bluish tinge to the forewings as well as the underside buff colour. However this species does have several forms including a very dark bluish black form, a brownish form and a green-brown form. It lives in open habitats and can be found in tussock grasslands and dunes and can normally be found from altitudes of sea level up to 900 m. Adults of this species are on the wing from August to April. As at 2017, the life history of is unknown as are the host species of its larvae. However it has been hypothesised that the larval host species is a tomentose plant.
This species was first described by Achille Guenée in 1868 and originally named Spaelotis caerulea. In 1887 Edward Meyrick placed this species in the Physetica genus. In 1906 George Howes, thinking he was describing a new species, named it Physetica hudsoni. This latter name was synonymised by George Hudson in 1928 into Physetica caerulea. In 1988 J... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arthur's Pass National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 2 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Physetica caerulea sighting in Fiordland National Park on a given day, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 74th 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 Physetica caerulea in Fiordland National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March to October, the lowest months.
Between 9 pm and midnight
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Physetica caerulea sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 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 Physetica caerulea sightings, Fiordland National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Arthur's Pass National Park (New Zealand, about 10%).
Same genus: Physetica
The closest relatives of the Physetica caerulea that you can see in Fiordland National Park (genus Physetica) are Physetica sequens (about 10%) and Physetica longstaffii (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Physetica caerulea is recorded against all the insects logged in Fiordland National Park (15 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.
