Cirina forda
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Cirina forda, the pallid emperor moth or shea defoliator, is a moth of the family Saturniidae. The species was first described by John O. Westwood in 1849. It is found in western Africa, including Ghana, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Africa.
Adults are pale creamy brown with a small darker spot on each hindwing but lacking true eyespots. There is one generation per year. The larvae feed on Vitellaria paradoxa. They may cause heavy defoliation in Ghana and Nigeria. In South Africa the favoured food plant is the tree Burkea africana.
The larvae are consumed (entomophagy) in Nigeria. Pupation takes place in soft soil or sand at the base of the host plant. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nairobi National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 2 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Pallid Emperor sighting in Kruger National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 656th 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 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Pallid Emperor in Kruger National Park on a given day, against under 5% in October to August, the lowest months. That is one of Kruger National Park's driest months, with about 15 mm of rain against 110 mm in February.
Between 5 and 8 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Pallid Emperor sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 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 Pallid Emperor sightings, Kruger National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Nairobi National Park (Kenya, about 10%).
Same family: Saturniidae
The closest relatives of the Pallid Emperor that you can see in Kruger National Park (family Saturniidae, Emperor and Giant Silk Moths) are Speckled Emperor (about 10%), Mopane Worm (about 10%) and Eastern Marbled Emperor (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Pallid Emperor is recorded against all the insects logged in Kruger National Park (5 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.
