Chrysocale principalis
In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%
Chrysocale principalis, the princely tiger moth, is a moth of the subfamily Arctiinae. It was described by Francis Walker in 1864. It is found in Mexico (Jalisco, Michoacán, Oaxaca, Tamaulipas) and Guatemala. Males have antennae that are more broadly pectinated compared to that of females, though in both sexes the color is a black-blue. There are three white dots on the thorax, two white dots at each wing's base, and two smaller white marks on the moth's disc. Each leg has a white spot as well. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México |
Likely
About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Princely Tiger Moth sighting in Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca on a given day, based on 66 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 2nd most-seen of the 21 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February
In that month about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Princely Tiger Moth in Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca on a given day, against under 5% in May and June, the lowest months. That is one of Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca's driest months, with about 30 mm of rain against 270 mm in July.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Princely Tiger Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Only Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca, in our data
Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Princely Tiger Moth sightings: about 60% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same order: Lepidoptera
The closest relatives of the Princely Tiger Moth that you can see in Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca (order Lepidoptera, Butterflies and Moths) are Monarch (about 90%), Pure-Banded Dartwhite (about 40%) and Mexican Silverspot (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Princely Tiger Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca (66 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.
