Mellilla xanthometata
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Mellilla is a monotypic genus of moths in the family Geometridae erected by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1873. Its only species, Mellilla xanthometata, the orangewing moth, was first described by Francis Walker in 1862. It is found in most of eastern North America.
The wingspan is about 16–21 mm. Adults have been recorded on wing in early spring and again in late June in two generations per year. Adults are active during both the day and night. The larvae feed on Gleditsia triacanthos. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Orange Wing sighting in Point Pelee National Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 142nd most-seen of the 196 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report an Orange Wing in Point Pelee National Park on a given day, against under 5% in September to June, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Orange Wing sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Only Point Pelee National Park, in our data
Point Pelee National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Orange Wing sightings: about 10% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same family: Geometridae
The closest relatives of the Orange Wing that you can see in Point Pelee National Park (family Geometridae, Geometer Moths) are White-Striped Black (about 10%), Large Maple Spanworm Moth (about 10%) and Bad-Wing Moth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Orange Wing is recorded against all the insects logged in Point Pelee National Park (6 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.
