Sod Webworm

Sod Webworm

Eudonia sabulosella

Endemic
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Fiordland National Park

In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%

17 Verified sightings at Fiordland National Park From 2019 to 2026
66 In all 4 parks
December Best month
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted

About the Sod Webworm

Eudonia sabulosella is a species of moth in the family Crambidae. This species is endemic to New Zealand and is regarded as being common. The larvae of this species are known to damage pasture in New Zealand. This species was originally described by Francis Walker in 1863 using a female specimen collected by Dr. A. Sinclair in Auckland and named Crambus sabulosellus. In 1884 Edward Meyrick discussed the species, giving a more detailed description, and placing it within the genus Scoparia while also changing the ending of the species name from the masculine -us to the feminine -a. George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species in his 1928 publication The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand, also using the name Scoparia sabulosella. In 1988 John S. Dugdale placed the species in the genus Eudonia.

Walker described the species as follows: Female. Cinereous fawn-colour. Labial palpi a little longer than the breadth of the head. Abdomen extending a little beyond the hind wings. Fore wings narrow; discal point and marginal points black; exterior border almost straight, slightly oblique. Hind wings pale cinereous. Length of the body 4+1⁄2 lines; of the... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Arthur's Pass National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
~30%
2 Egmont National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
~10%
3 Fiordland National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
~10%
4 Rakiura National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Auckland 🇳🇿 New Zealand
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Sod Webworm in Fiordland National Park?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Sod Webworm sighting in Fiordland National Park on a given day, based on 17 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 40th 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 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Sod Webworm in Fiordland National Park?

December and January

In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Sod Webworm in Fiordland National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February–September and November, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Sod Webworm?

Between 8 and 11 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Sod Webworm 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.

Is Fiordland National Park the best place to see a Sod Webworm?

3rd of 4

Of the 4 parks where we can rate Sod Webworm sightings, Fiordland National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Arthur's Pass National Park (New Zealand, about 30%) and Egmont National Park (New Zealand, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Sod Webworm live in Fiordland National Park?

Same genus: Eudonia

The closest relatives of the Sod Webworm that you can see in Fiordland National Park (genus Eudonia) are Greater Orange-Spot Scoparia (about 10%), Bold Scoparia (about 10%) and Eudonia feredayi (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Sod Webworm sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Sod Webworm is recorded against all the insects logged in Fiordland National Park (17 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.

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