Podalia orsilochus
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Podalia orsilochus is a moth of the Megalopygidae family. It was described by Pieter Cramer in 1775. It is found in Mexico, Costa Rica, Brazil, Guyana and Venezuela. The wingspan is 65 mm. The forewings are white, the markings light olivaceous brown. There is a small black spot at the base below the median and a broad median shade, darkest along the upper portion of the cell, crossed by whitish shades between the veins and limited by a broad white post-medial line, which is followed by cuneiform streaks and spots. There is also a terminal row of spots between the veins. The hindwings are white, the space below the cell and inner margin shaded with olivaceous brown. There are also some faint terminal spots.
Matías N.Sánchez et al.: Understanding toxicological implications of accidents with caterpillars Megalopyge lanata and Podalia orsilochus (Lepidoptera: Megalopygidae). In: Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C: Toxicology & Pharmacology; Volume 216, February 2019, Pages 110-119; doi:10.1016/j.cbpc.2018.11.011 Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brownsberg Nature Park | 🇸🇷 Suriname | |
| 2 | Manu National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 3 | Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 4 | Arenal Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 5 | Soberanía National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Podalia orsilochus sighting in Manu National Park on a given day, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 103rd most-seen of the 366 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.
June to August
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Podalia orsilochus in Manu National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April and November–February, the lowest months. Those are among Manu National Park's driest months, with about 70 mm of rain a month against 290 mm in February.
Between 5 and 8 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Podalia orsilochus sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
2nd of 5
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Podalia orsilochus sightings, Manu National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Brownsberg Nature Park (Suriname, about 40%).
Same genus: Podalia
The closest relatives of the Podalia orsilochus that you can see in Manu National Park (genus Podalia) are Podalia intermaculata (about 10%) and Podalia tympania (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Podalia orsilochus is recorded against all the insects logged in Manu 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.
