Dichorda iridaria
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Dichorda iridaria, the showy emerald moth, is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Achille Guenée in 1857. It is found in North America, where it has been recorded from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Quebec, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
The wingspan is about 25–28 mm. The larvae feed on Rhus species, including Rhus typhina and Rhus copallina. and Toxicodendron radicans. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Showy Emerald sighting in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 513th 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.
July
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Showy Emerald in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a given day, against under 5% in August to June, the lowest months.
Between 6 and 9 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Showy Emerald 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 Showy Emerald sightings, Great Smoky Mountains National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Point Pelee National Park (Canada, about 10%).
Same family: Geometridae
The closest relatives of the Showy Emerald 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 Showy Emerald is recorded against all the insects logged in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (7 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.
