Poecilasthena schistaria
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
Poecilasthena schistaria, the kanuka looper, is a moth in the family Geometridae. It is found in New Zealand. The wings vary from very pale brown to rather dull purplish-brown with numerous jagged, darker transverse lines. Adults are on wing from October to April.
The larvae feed on Leptospermum scoparium. They are dull green with a white more or less black-edged band down each side. There is a thin central white line on the back, and a narrow yellow line half-way between it and the lateral white band. The head is dull green. Pupation takes place in a slight cocoon below the surface of the earth. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rakiura National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 2 | Abel Tasman National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auckland | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Kanuka Looper sighting in Rakiura National Park on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 68th most-seen of the 118 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Kanuka Looper in Rakiura National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April–September and December–January, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Kanuka Looper sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Kanuka Looper sightings, Rakiura National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Abel Tasman National Park (New Zealand, about 10%).
Same genus: Poecilasthena
The closest relatives of the Kanuka Looper that you can see in Rakiura National Park (genus Poecilasthena) are Poecilasthena subpurpureata (about 10%) and Native Cranberry Moth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Kanuka Looper is recorded against all the insects logged in Rakiura National Park (9 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.
