Helicoverpa armigera
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Helicoverpa armigera is a species of moth in the family Noctuidae. It is known as the cotton bollworm, corn earworm, Old World (African) bollworm, or scarce bordered straw (the lattermost in the UK, where it is a migrant). The larvae feed on a wide range of plants, including many important cultivated crops. It is a major pest in cotton and one of the most polyphagous and cosmopolitan pest species. It should not be confused with the similarly named larva of the related species Helicoverpa zea.
This species comprises two sub-species: Helicoverpa armigera armigera is native and widespread in central and southern Europe, temperate Asia and Africa; Helicoverpa armigera conferta is native to Australia, and Oceania. The former sub-species has also recently been confirmed to have successfully invaded Brazil and has since spread across much of South America and reached the Caribbean. It is a migrant species, able to reach Scandinavia and other northern territories.
The cotton bollworm is very variable in both size and colour. The body length varies between 12 and 20 millimetres (1⁄2 and 3⁄4 in) with a wingspan of 30–40 millimetres (1+1⁄4–1+1⁄2 in). The fore... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 2 | Aigüestortes National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 3 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Sierra Nevada National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 5 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 6 | Vanoise National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 7 | Namib-Naukluft National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 8 | Ecrins National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 9 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 10 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 11 | Fertő-Hanság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 12 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 13 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 14 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Cotton Bollworm Moth sighting in Sierra Nevada National Park on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 240th most-seen of the 479 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.
July and October
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Cotton Bollworm Moth in Sierra Nevada National Park on a given day, against under 5% in August and November–May, the lowest months.
Between 9 pm and midnight
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Cotton Bollworm Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Among the best
Of the 14 parks where we can rate Cotton Bollworm Moth sightings, Sierra Nevada National Park ranks 4th at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Pyrénées National Park (France, about 10%), Aigüestortes National Park (Spain, about 10%) and Addo Elephant National Park (South Africa, about 10%).
Same family: Noctuidae
The closest relatives of the Cotton Bollworm Moth that you can see in Sierra Nevada National Park (family Noctuidae, Cutworm Moths and Allies) are Turnip Moth (about 20%), The Bordered Straw (about 20%) and Silver Υ (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Cotton Bollworm Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Sierra Nevada National Park (8 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.
