Melipotis jucunda
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Melipotis jucunda, the merry melipotis moth, is a species of moth in the family Erebidae. It is found in Mexico (Yucatán, Mérida), Colombia, most of the United States, western Canada and northeast Brazil. The wingspan is 35–42 mm. There are two or three generations in New Jersey and multiple generations in the southern part of the range.
The larvae feed on Salix bonplandia and Salix wrighti, Acacia species and Calliandra eriophylla. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mesa | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Phoenix | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Torreón | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 5 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Las Vegas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Merry Graphic Moth sighting in Joshua Tree National Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 164th most-seen of the 190 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, July and September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Merry Graphic Moth in Joshua Tree National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June, August and October–April, the lowest months.
Between 9 pm and midnight
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Merry Graphic 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.
3rd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Merry Graphic Moth sightings, Joshua Tree National Park ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Big Bend National Park (United States, about 10%) and Saguaro National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Erebidae
The closest relatives of the Merry Graphic Moth that you can see in Joshua Tree National Park (family Erebidae, Underwing, Tiger, Tussock, and Allied Moths) are Bird Toxonprucha (about 10%), Smoky Arches (about 10%) and Euchaetes zella (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Merry Graphic Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Joshua Tree National Park (6 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.
