Prionoxystus robiniae
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Prionoxystus robiniae, the carpenterworm moth or locust borer, is a moth of the family Cossidae. It was first described by Peck in 1818 and it is found in southern Canada and most of the United States. The wingspan is 43–85 mm (1.7–3.3 in). Adults are on wing from May to July depending on the location.
The larvae feed on locust, oak, chestnut, poplar, willow, maple and ash. The species is considered a pest, because the tunnels the larvae create decrease the value of hardwood lumber. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Sacramento | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Carpenterworm Moth sighting in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 379th most-seen of the 822 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.
May to July
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Carpenterworm Moth in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a given day, against under 5% in August to April, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Carpenterworm Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
Among the best
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Carpenterworm Moth sightings, Great Smoky Mountains National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Big Cypress National Preserve (United States, about 10%) and Everglades National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same order: Lepidoptera
The closest relatives of the Carpenterworm Moth that you can see in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (order Lepidoptera, Butterflies and Moths) are Pipevine Swallowtail (about 70%), Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (about 50%) and Silver-Spotted Skipper (about 40%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Carpenterworm Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (12 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.
