Jasmine Moth

Jasmine Moth

Palpita vitrealis

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Gorongosa National Park

In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%

9 Verified sightings at Gorongosa National Park From 2019 to 2026
147 In all 8 parks
April Best month
🌙 Nocturnal When it's spotted

About the Jasmine Moth

Palpita vitrealis, common name jasmine moth or white pearl, is a species of moth of the family Crambidae. This species occurs worldwide, including Africa (Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Kenya, Sierra Leone, South Africa),Asia, Australia and Europe. In Europe, it is mainly found in southern Europe, but may be found further north.

The wingspan of Palpita vitrealis can reach 27–31 mm. The body and the wings are translucent with a slight sheen. Eyes are large and reddish-brown. On the upper edge of the forewings is present a rather broad orange or brown border. The forewings also show two black spots in the middle. Legs are white and brown ringed.

These moths mainly fly from August till late October, depending on the location. They feed on nectar of various flowers, including ivy and buddleia. This species shows a migratory nature. The larvae are initially yellow, later becoming green. They can grow to a length of about 2 cms. They feed on the leaves of the host plants, mainly jasmine (Jasminum officinale), privet (Ligustrum species), Forsythia, Arbutus unedo and european olive (Olea europaea). In Africa the preferred host plants are Sida... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Gorongosa National Park 🇲🇿 Mozambique
~20%
2 Garden Route National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
3 Sierra Nevada National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~10%
4 Sierra de Guadarrama National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~10%
5 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
6 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%
7 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
<5%
8 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Porto 🇵🇹 Portugal
~20%
2 Madrid 🇪🇸 Spain
~10%
3 Athens 🇬🇷 Greece
~10%
4 Rome 🇮🇹 Italy
~10%
5 Tel Aviv 🇮🇱 Israel
~10%
6 Lisbon 🇵🇹 Portugal
~10%
7 Barcelona 🇪🇸 Spain
~10%
8 Milan 🇮🇹 Italy
~10%
9 Auckland 🇳🇿 New Zealand
~10%
10 Istanbul 🇹🇷 Turkey
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Jasmine Moth in Gorongosa National Park?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Jasmine Moth sighting in Gorongosa National Park on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 16th most-seen of the 41 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Jasmine Moth in Gorongosa National Park?

April and May

In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Jasmine Moth in Gorongosa National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March, June–October and December, the lowest months. Those are among Gorongosa National Park's driest months, with about 40 mm of rain a month against 210 mm in January.

What time of day is best to see a Jasmine Moth?

Between 9 pm and midnight

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Jasmine Moth 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.

Is Gorongosa National Park the best place to see a Jasmine Moth?

Yes

Of the 8 parks where we can rate Jasmine Moth sightings, Gorongosa National Park has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Garden Route National Park (South Africa, about 10%) and Sierra Nevada National Park (Spain, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Jasmine Moth live in Gorongosa National Park?

Same family: Crambidae

The closest relatives of the Jasmine Moth that you can see in Gorongosa National Park (family Crambidae, Crambid Snout Moths) are Variegated Pearl (about 30%), Mung Bean Moth (about 30%) and Hawaiian Beet Webworm Moth (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Jasmine Moth sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Jasmine Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Gorongosa National Park (9 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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