Ischalis fortinata
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
Ischalis fortinata (also known as the zigzag fern looper) is a species of moth in the family Geometridae. It was first described by Achille Guenée in 1868. This species is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in both the North, South and Stewart Islands. The species inhabits native forest. The larval hosts of this species include Polystichum vestitum and Polystrichum richardii. Adults have been observed all year around but are most frequently seen from October to February.
This species was first described by Achille Guenée in 1868 using a specimen collected by R. W. Fereday, in Canterbury, likely at Akaroa on the Banks Peninsula, and originally named the species Polygonia fortinata. In 1875 Cajetan von Felder & Alois Friedrich Rogenhofer, thinking they were describing a new species, tentatively named it as Caustaloma ziczac. This name was synonymised by Edward Meyrick in 1883. He placed the species in the genus Azelina. George Hudson discussed this species under this name in his 1928 book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand. In 1970 Robert W. Poole placed this species in the genus Ischalis. In 2004 this placement was confirmed. The male lectotype specimen... 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 Zigzag Fern Looper 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 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.
December and January
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Zigzag Fern Looper in Fiordland National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April to October, the lowest months.
Between 9 pm and midnight
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Zigzag Fern Looper 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.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Zigzag Fern Looper sightings, Fiordland National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Rakiura National Park (New Zealand, about 20%).
Same genus: Ischalis
The closest relatives of the Zigzag Fern Looper that you can see in Fiordland National Park (genus Ischalis, Fern Loopers) are Striped Fern Looper (about 10%) and Oblique-Waved Fern Looper (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Zigzag Fern Looper 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.
