Ponometia elegantula
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Ponometia elegantula, the Arizona bird dropping moth, is a species of bird dropping moth in the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Leon F. Harvey in 1876. The MONA or Hodges number for Ponometia elegantula is 9109. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Arizona Bird-Dropping Moth sighting in Joshua Tree National Park on a given day, based on 39 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 57th most-seen of the 190 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April and September
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report an Arizona Bird-Dropping Moth in Joshua Tree National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June–August and November–February, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Arizona Bird-Dropping Moth 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.
Among the best
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Arizona Bird-Dropping Moth sightings, Joshua Tree National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Death Valley National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Noctuidae
The closest relatives of the Arizona Bird-Dropping Moth that you can see in Joshua Tree National Park (family Noctuidae, Cutworm Moths and Allies) are Ridings' Forester (about 10%), Red-Lined Moth (about 10%) and Chicory Flower Moth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Arizona Bird-Dropping Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Joshua Tree National Park (39 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.
