Malacosoma incurva
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Malacosoma incurva, the southwestern tent caterpillar moth, is a species of moth of the family Lasiocampidae. It was first described by Henry Edwards in 1882. It is found in south-western North America, including Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and Utah.
The wingspan is about 27 mm. The larvae feed on Populus fremontii, Salix and Prunus species. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zion National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Grand Canyon National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Southwestern Tent Caterpillar Moth sighting in Grand Canyon National Park on a given day, based on 16 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 43rd most-seen of the 143 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.
April and May
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Southwestern Tent Caterpillar Moth in Grand Canyon National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June to March, the lowest months. Those are among Grand Canyon National Park's driest months, with about 10 mm of rain a month against 40 mm in March.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Southwestern Tent Caterpillar Moth sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Southwestern Tent Caterpillar Moth sightings, Grand Canyon National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Zion National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same order: Lepidoptera
The closest relatives of the Southwestern Tent Caterpillar Moth that you can see in Grand Canyon National Park (order Lepidoptera, Butterflies and Moths) are White-Lined Sphinx (about 30%), Painted Lady (about 30%) and Silver-Spotted Tiger Moth (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Southwestern Tent Caterpillar Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Grand Canyon National Park (16 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.
