Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
Scoparia rotuellus
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Scoparia rotuella is a species of moth in the family Crambidae. It was first described by Cajetan Felder, Rudolf Felder and Alois Friedrich Rogenhofer in 1875. It is endemic to New Zealand and, although considered localised, is found throughout the country. As of 2022, the life history of this species is largely unknown, but it has been hypothesised that this species may have two broods a year. Adults are on the wing all year round and are attracted to light.
It was described by Cajetan Felder, Rudolf Felder and Alois Friedrich Rogenhofer in 1875 under the name Crambus rotuellus. In 1885 Edward Meyrick placed this species in the genus Xeroscopa and amended the epithet to rotuella. In 1913 Meyrick again revised the taxonomy of the species and placed it within the genus Scopaira. George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species under the name Scoparia rotuella in his 1928 book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand. The male lectotype, collected in Nelson by T. R. Oxley, is held at the Natural History Museum, London.
The wingspan is 28–29 mm. The forewings are light greyish ochreous, irrorated (speckled) with white beneath the costa. There is a... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rakiura National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 2 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Scoparia rotuellus sighting in Rakiura National Park on a given day, based on 19 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 30th most-seen of the 118 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July, September and November
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Scoparia rotuellus in Rakiura National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March, May–June and August, the lowest months.
Between 10 pm and 1 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Scoparia rotuellus sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Scoparia rotuellus sightings, Rakiura National Park has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Fiordland National Park (New Zealand, about 10%).
Same genus: Scoparia
The closest relatives of the Scoparia rotuellus that you can see in Rakiura National Park (genus Scoparia) are Scoparia halopis (about 20%), Scoparia indistinctalis (about 20%) and Scoparia minusculalis (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Scoparia rotuellus is recorded against all the insects logged in Rakiura National Park (19 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.
