Pericyma mendax
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
Pericyma mendax is a moth of the family Erebidae. It is found most countries in subtropical Africa south of the Sahara, in Cape Verde, Mauritius, La Réunion and Madagascar. It has a wingspan of approx. 40mm. Host plants of the larvae are Acacia mearnsii and Acacia sp. Fabaceae Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Shades sighting in Garden Route National Park on a given day, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 125th most-seen of the 298 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February–May, August and October
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Shades in Garden Route National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June–July, September and November–January, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Brown Shades 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 Brown Shades sightings, Garden Route National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Kruger National Park (South Africa, about 10%).
Same family: Erebidae
The closest relatives of the Brown Shades that you can see in Garden Route National Park (family Erebidae, Underwing, Tiger, Tussock, and Allied Moths) are Creamstriped Owl (about 10%), Equine Maiden (about 10%) and Amata kuhlweini (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Brown Shades is recorded against all the insects logged in Garden Route National Park (14 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.
