Spilosoma congrua
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
The agreeable tiger moth (Spilosoma congrua) is a medium-sized moth belonging to the family Erebidae, subfamily Arctiinae, commonly known as the tiger moths. It was first described by the British entomologist Francis Walker in 1855 and is one of the most common white tiger moths found in North America. The species is easily recognised by its bright white wings, pronounced black eyes, white abdomen with rows of black spots, and a distinctive orange or yellow "bib" on the thorax just behind the head. These features separate it from its close relatives, the Virginia tiger moth (Spilosoma virginica) and the dubious tiger moth (Spilosoma dubia).
The agreeable tiger moth ranges across most of the contiguous United States, southern Canada, and there is some evidence of disjunct populations in India. It inhabits open woodlands, meadows, fields, roadsides, and suburban gardens. The larvae are generalist feeders, consuming a wide variety of herbaceous plants, including many common weeds and garden vegetables, which sometimes brings the species into mild conflict with agriculture. Adults are nocturnal and are attracted to lights. The species has one to three generations per year depending on latitude and climate. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Agreeable Tiger Moth sighting in Shenandoah National Park on a given day, based on 27 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 135th most-seen of the 723 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April to September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Agreeable Tiger Moth in Shenandoah National Park on a given day, against under 5% in October to March, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Agreeable Tiger Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Among the best
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Agreeable Tiger Moth sightings, Shenandoah National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (United States, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Agreeable Tiger Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Shenandoah National Park (27 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.
