Pleuroprucha insulsaria
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Pleuroprucha insulsaria, the common tan wave moth, is a moth of the family Geometridae that was first described by Achille Guenée in 1857. It is found in eastern North America, from Nova Scotia to Florida, west to Texas and Colorado and north to Ontario. It ranges south through Mexico and Central America into South America (including Venezuela) and has been recorded as far south as the Galápagos Islands. It has also been recorded from the West Indies, including Jamaica.
The wingspan is 14-21 mm. Adults are on wing from March or April to October in the southern part of the range. In the north, adults have been recorded from June to October. The larvae feed on a wide range of plants, including Solanum dulcamara, Galium, Zea mays, Solidago, Castanea, Quercus and Salix species. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 10 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Common Tan Wave sighting in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 628th 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 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July and October
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Tan Wave in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a given day, against under 5% in August–September and November–June, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Tan Wave 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.
3rd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Common Tan Wave sightings, Great Smoky Mountains National Park ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Shenandoah National Park (United States, about 10%) and Acadia National Park (United States, under 5%).
Same family: Geometridae
The closest relatives of the Common Tan Wave that you can see in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (family Geometridae, Geometer Moths) are Tulip-Tree Beauty (about 30%), White-Striped Black (about 20%) and Pale Beauty (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Common Tan Wave is recorded against all the insects logged in Great Smoky Mountains 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.
