Persectania aversa
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Persectania aversa, commonly known as the southern armyworm, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It was first described in 1856 by Francis Walker. It is endemic to New Zealand and can be found throughout the country including the North, South, Stewart and Chatham Islands. This species inhabits open grasslands. Larvae feed on grass species including commercial crops such as oats and barley and as a result this species is regarded as an agricultural pest. Adults are nocturnal and are attracted to light. They are on the wing throughout the year.
This species was first described by Francis Walker and named Leucania aversa. In 1898 George Hudson discussing and illustrated this species under the name Mamestra composita. In 1928 he again discussed and illustrated this species but this time under the name Persectania composita. This taxonomic confusion with the Australian species P. composita (now known as a synonym of P. ewingii) continued until 1954 when I. F. B. Common undertook a review of the genus Persectania. In that review Common studied both the male and female genitalia and confirmed that P. aversa was a distinct species and was confined to New Zealand. Common also... 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 Southern Armyworm 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.
November to February
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Armyworm in Fiordland National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March to October, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Southern Armyworm sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
Among the best
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Southern Armyworm 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 family: Noctuidae
The closest relatives of the Southern Armyworm that you can see in Fiordland National Park (family Noctuidae, Cutworm Moths and Allies) are New Zealand Cutworm (about 20%), Common Dotted Wainscot (about 10%) and Ichneutica atristriga (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Southern Armyworm 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.
