Lophocampa argentata
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%
Lophocampa argentata, the silver-spotted tiger moth, is a species of moth in the family Erebidae. It was described by Packard in 1864. It is found from British Columbia to southern California, and east to Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and possibly to northern Mexico.
Caterpillars are brown or reddish-brown and very hairy, with bundles of black and yellow hairs along the back. The hairs on caterpillars and pupae can irritate human skin. Adult moths have brown forewings with silvery spots. There are light brown and dark brown variations. The spots are irregular, each outlined in black and aligned in loose rows. The hair-like scales on the head and thorax (dorsal tuft) have a unique pattern that can be useful in identification.
Original species description by Alpheus Packard in 1864: "Halesidota argentata n. sp. - [Female]. Head and thorax pale buff yellow. Base and side of the front walnut brown. Centre of prothoracic pieces brown. Patagia margined with brown, within very broadly so.
Primaries walnut brown, with five rows of large irregular round or ovate silver white spots, except the costal spots, which are buff yellow. Two basal spots yellow... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Redwood National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Grand Canyon National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Olympic National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Pacific Rim National Park Reserve | 🇨🇦 Canada |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Silver-Spotted Tiger Moth sighting in Redwood National Park on a given day, based on 59 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the most-seen of the 101 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Silver-Spotted Tiger Moth in Redwood National Park on a given day, against under 5% in October to February, the lowest months. That is one of Redwood National Park's driest months, with about 90 mm of rain against 360 mm in January.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Silver-Spotted Tiger Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 6 parks where we can rate Silver-Spotted Tiger Moth sightings, Redwood National Park has the highest daily chance: about 30%. Next come Grand Canyon National Park (United States, about 20%) and Yosemite National Park (United States, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Silver-Spotted Tiger Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Redwood National Park (59 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.
