Epyaxa rosearia
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
Epyaxa rosearia, the New Zealand looper or plantain moth, is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is endemic to New Zealand. E. rosearia was first described by Edward Doubleday in 1843 and named Cidaria rosearia. The eggs of this species are pale yellow and oval with a smooth shell.
Alex Purdie describes the caterpillar of this species as: Length, at rest, about three- quarters of an inch. Colour light-green, with indistinct whitish longitudinal lines, and a narrow median dorsal stripe of the ground colour, edged on each side by one of these whitish lines; a subdorsal whitish line on each side of the median stripe; the ground colour shows again as a lateral line, edged below with whitish. Under-side with delicate whitish or yellowish longitudinal tracings, as on the upper side. The junctions of the segments show yellowish or whitish rings when the larva contracts. Head, greenish-yellow. Body tapering somewhat to the head. The caterpillars form a chrysalis that is glossy and very dark brownish black. They can be found amongst the leaves of the forest floor. E. rosearia adults are varied in appearance. They can have a pinkish tinge or can be brownish... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rakiura National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 2 | Abel Tasman National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 3 | Egmont National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 4 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auckland | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a New Zealand Looper sighting in Rakiura National Park on a given day, based on 25 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 16th most-seen of the 118 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May–June and August
In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a New Zealand Looper in Rakiura National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April, September and December, the lowest months.
Between 9 pm and midnight
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most New Zealand 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 4 parks where we can rate New Zealand Looper sightings, Rakiura National Park has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Abel Tasman National Park (New Zealand, about 10%) and Egmont National Park (New Zealand, about 10%).
Same family: Geometridae
The closest relatives of the New Zealand Looper that you can see in Rakiura National Park (family Geometridae, Geometer Moths) are Forest Semilooper (about 40%), Common Forest Looper (about 30%) and Barred Pink Carpet (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the New Zealand Looper is recorded against all the insects logged in Rakiura National Park (25 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.
