Metacrias erichrysa
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Metacrias erichrysa, also known as the western tiger moth, is a species of moth of the family Erebidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. This species can be found in the lower half of the North Island and western alpine areas of the South Island. The adult female of the species is flightless and buff coloured whereas the male is brightly coloured and a rapid flier during daylight hours. The male of the species is on the wing from mid-November to early January. The species inhabits open herb and tussock fields in mountainous terrain at altitudes of between 900 and 1200 m. Larvae feed on Brachyglottis bellidioides, Festuca novae-zealandiae and indigenous species from the genera Acaena, Muehlenbeckia, Wahlenbergia and Raoulia.
M. erichrysa was originally described by Edward Meyrick in 1886 from specimens collected on Mount Arthur as well as from subsequently reared larvae. George Hudson discussed and illustrated the species in his 1898 publication New Zealand moths and butterflies (Macro-lepidoptera) as well as in his 1928 book The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand. The holotype specimen is held at the Natural History Museum, London.
Adults males are brightly... 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 Western Tiger Moth 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 52nd 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.
January
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Western Tiger Moth in Fiordland National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April to November, the lowest months.
Between 3 and 6 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Western Tiger Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Only Fiordland National Park, in our data
Fiordland National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Western Tiger Moth sightings: about 10% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same family: Erebidae
The closest relatives of the Western Tiger Moth that you can see in Fiordland National Park (family Erebidae, Underwing, Tiger, Tussock, and Allied Moths) are Slender Owlet Moth (about 10%), New Zealand Magpie Moth (about 10%) and Pinion-Streaked Snout (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Western Tiger Moth 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.
