Plectophila discalis
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Plectophila discalis is a moth of the family Xyloryctidae first described by Francis Walker in 1865. It is found in Australia, where it has been recorded from New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. The wingspan is 20–25 mm. The forewings are white, in females with a light fuscous suffusion forming a cloudy fascia, its outer edge distinct and rectangularly angulated in the middle, from three-fifths of the costa to the inner margin before the anal angle, and occupying the entire dorsal two-thirds of the wing from the base up to this, except a cloudy white spot below the middle, sometimes sprinkled with dark fuscous longitudinally in the disc, and on the posterior margin of the fascia. In males, these markings are largely reduced or nearly obsolete, showing only partial indications of the posterior fascia and a small spot on the fold before middle. There is an irregular suffused fuscous streak along the hindmargin, the hindmarginal edge dark fuscous. The hindwings are pale whitish ochreous grey, the terminal half suffused with rather dark grey, the extreme apex whitish ochreous.
The larvae feed on Syncarpia glomulifera, Eucalyptus scabra, Cryptocarya glaucescens and Hibiscus tiliaceus. They feed from within a shelter of tied leaves. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Melbourne | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Plectophila discalis sighting in Great Otway National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 369th most-seen of the 418 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January and February
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Plectophila discalis in Great Otway National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March to December, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Plectophila discalis sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Plectophila discalis sightings, Great Otway National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Blue Mountains National Park (Australia, about 10%).
Same family: Xyloryctidae
The closest relatives of the Plectophila discalis that you can see in Great Otway National Park (family Xyloryctidae, Timber Moths) are Cryptophasa irrorata (about 10%), Leistarcha scitissimella (about 10%) and Fruit Tree Borer (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Plectophila discalis is recorded against all the insects logged in Great Otway National Park (5 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.
