Xanthopastis regnatrix
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
Xanthopastis regnatrix, the Spanish moth or convict caterpillar, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It occurs in the United States, where it is found from North Carolina to Texas and south to Florida. Strays have been recorded as far north as coastal New York, and inland as far north as Kentucky. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Spanish Moth sighting in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 138th most-seen of the 189 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March–May and November–December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Spanish Moth in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, against under 5% in January–February and June–October, the lowest months.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Spanish Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Spanish Moth sightings, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Everglades National Park (United States, about 20%) and Big Cypress National Preserve (United States, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Spanish Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (7 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.
