Alfalfa Looper Moth

Alfalfa Looper Moth

Tathorhynchus exsiccata

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Kruger National Park

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%

14 Verified sightings at Kruger National Park From 2019 to 2026
27 In all 2 parks
May Best month
🌙 Nocturnal When it's spotted

About the Alfalfa Looper Moth

Tathorhynchus is a monotypic genus of moth in the family Erebidae erected by George Hampson in 1894. Its only species, Tathorhynchus exsiccata, the Levant blackneck or double-spotted snout, was first described by Julius Lederer in 1855. The nominate form is found on the Canary Islands and in North Africa, tropical Asia and tropical Africa. It has been introduced in Dominica and Argentina. Subspecies Tathorhynchus exsiccata fallax is found in the northern half of Australia, as well as Norfolk Island and New Zealand.

This species was transferred to Lygephila exsiccata by Goater et al. in 2003, but was returned to Tathorhynchus Hampson by Fibiger and Hacker in 2005. T. exsiccata Led. (= vinctalis Walk.) Forewing whitish, thickly suffused with grey brown, darker towards termen; the orbicular and reniform stigmata marked by pale spots separated by a black dash; another beyond reniform; outer line pale preceded by black marks; a terminal row of black lunules; hindwing greyish white, darker terminally.

The wingspan is about 40 mm. Tathorhynchus exsiccata exsiccata Tathorhynchus exsiccata fallax The larvae... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Austin 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing an Alfalfa Looper Moth in Kruger National Park?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Alfalfa Looper Moth sighting in Kruger National Park on a given day, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 290th most-seen of the 748 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.

When is the best time to see an Alfalfa Looper Moth in Kruger National Park?

April and May

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Alfalfa Looper Moth in Kruger National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June to March, the lowest months. Those are among Kruger National Park's driest months, with about 15 mm of rain a month against 110 mm in February.

What time of day is best to see an Alfalfa Looper Moth?

Between 7 and 10 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Alfalfa Looper 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.

Is Kruger National Park the best place to see an Alfalfa Looper Moth?

2nd of 2

Of the 2 parks where we can rate Alfalfa Looper Moth sightings, Kruger National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Big Bend National Park (United States, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Alfalfa Looper Moth live in Kruger National Park?

Same family: Noctuidae

The closest relatives of the Alfalfa Looper Moth that you can see in Kruger National Park (family Noctuidae, Cutworm Moths and Allies) are Shadow Droplet (about 10%), Acontia discoidea (about 10%) and The Banner (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Alfalfa Looper Moth sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Alfalfa Looper Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Kruger National Park (14 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.

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