Castnia licus
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
Telchin licus, the banana stem borer, is a moth of the Castniidae family. It is native to South America, where it is found from Colombia, Venezuela and the Guianas, throughout the Amazon basin in Brazil and Peru. It has also been recorded as an introduced species in Hawaii.
The length of the forewings is 64–80 mm. The larvae feed on Saccharum officinarum, Musa, Heliconia and Ichnosiphon species. It is considered a pest species. Young larvae make a small cavity and then tunnel into the heart of the cane of the host plant. They tunnel upwards and downwards, and create a shelter in the rootstock where they rest. Pupation takes place in the rootstock or at the base of the cane. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manu National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 2 | Tambopata National Reserve | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 3 | Arenal Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Castnia licus sighting in Tambopata National Reserve on a given day, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 42nd most-seen of the 141 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Castnia licus in Tambopata National Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in April–June, September and November–January, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Castnia licus sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Castnia licus sightings, Tambopata National Reserve ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Manu National Park (Peru, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Castnia licus is recorded against all the insects logged in Tambopata National Reserve (11 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.
