Epimecis hortaria
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%
Epimecis hortaria, the tulip-tree beauty, is a moth species of the Ennominae subfamily found in North America. It is found throughout New England south to Florida and west to Texas and Missouri. It was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1794. It can be seen flying from late March to early October. Adults are nocturnal and attracted to lights. The immature caterpillars can be found feeding on Magnolia, Asimina, Populus, Sassafras and Liriodendron. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Tulip-Tree Beauty sighting in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a given day, based on 270 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 16th most-seen of the 822 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Tulip-Tree Beauty in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a given day, against under 5% in September to February, the lowest months.
Between midnight and 3 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Tulip-Tree Beauty sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Tulip-Tree Beauty sightings, Great Smoky Mountains National Park has the highest daily chance: about 30%. Next come Shenandoah National Park (United States, about 20%) and Point Pelee National Park (Canada, about 10%).
Same family: Geometridae
The closest relatives of the Tulip-Tree Beauty that you can see in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (family Geometridae, Geometer Moths) are White-Striped Black (about 20%), Pale Beauty (about 20%) and Large Maple Spanworm Moth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Tulip-Tree Beauty is recorded against all the insects logged in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (270 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.
