Ichneutica mutans
In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%
Ichneutica mutans, commonly known as the New Zealand cutworm or the grey-brown cutworm, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. This moth endemic to New Zealand and can be found throughout New Zealand, including from Three Kings Islands down to Stewart Island. However this species is not found in the Chatham Islands. The adult moths are on the wing all year round. I. mutans is variable in appearance and can be confused with similar species in the same genus. As a result of the variety of host species consumed by the larvae of the species, including such crops as turnips, wheat and apples, this species is regarded as an agricultural pest. However between the early 1960s and late 1980s the population of I. mutans was shown to have decreased significantly, by over 80%, at two study sites.
This species was first described by Francis Walker in 1857. The lectotype specimen is held at the Natural History Museum, London. The type locality of I. mutans is presumed by Robert Hoare to be Auckland. As a result of the variability in the appearance of I. mutans Walker, thinking he was describing new species, went on to describe it numerous times under the names Hadena lignifusca, Xylina... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rakiura National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 2 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 3 | Egmont National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 4 | Arthur's Pass National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 5 | Abel Tasman National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auckland | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a New Zealand Cutworm sighting in Rakiura National Park on a given day, based on 102 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 2nd most-seen of the 118 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January, May, July and September–November
In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a New Zealand Cutworm in Rakiura National Park on a given day, against about 10% in August, the lowest month.
Between 10 pm and 1 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most New Zealand Cutworm 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 5 parks where we can rate New Zealand Cutworm sightings, Rakiura National Park has the highest daily chance: about 30%. Next come Fiordland National Park (New Zealand, about 20%) and Egmont National Park (New Zealand, about 20%).
Same genus: Ichneutica
The closest relatives of the New Zealand Cutworm that you can see in Rakiura National Park (genus Ichneutica) are Ichneutica atristriga (about 20%), Ichneutica mollis (about 20%) and Common Dotted Wainscot (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the New Zealand Cutworm is recorded against all the insects logged in Rakiura National Park (102 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.
