Podalia orsilochus
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Podalia orsilochus is a moth of the Megalopygidae family. It was described by Pieter Cramer in 1775. It is found in Mexico, Costa Rica, Brazil, Guyana and Venezuela. The wingspan is 65 mm. The forewings are white, the markings light olivaceous brown. There is a small black spot at the base below the median and a broad median shade, darkest along the upper portion of the cell, crossed by whitish shades between the veins and limited by a broad white post-medial line, which is followed by cuneiform streaks and spots. There is also a terminal row of spots between the veins. The hindwings are white, the space below the cell and inner margin shaded with olivaceous brown. There are also some faint terminal spots.
Matías N.Sánchez et al.: Understanding toxicological implications of accidents with caterpillars Megalopyge lanata and Podalia orsilochus (Lepidoptera: Megalopygidae). In: Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C: Toxicology & Pharmacology; Volume 216, February 2019, Pages 110-119; doi:10.1016/j.cbpc.2018.11.011 Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brownsberg Nature Park | 🇸🇷 Suriname | |
| 2 | Manu National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 3 | Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 4 | Arenal Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 5 | Soberanía National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Podalia orsilochus sighting in Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 158th most-seen of the 187 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February and March
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Podalia orsilochus in Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April to January, the lowest months. Those are among Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park's driest months, with about 170 mm of rain a month against 570 mm in October.
Between 5 and 8 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Podalia orsilochus sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
3rd of 5
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Podalia orsilochus sightings, Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Brownsberg Nature Park (Suriname, about 40%) and Manu National Park (Peru, about 10%).
Same family: Megalopygidae
The closest relatives of the Podalia orsilochus that you can see in Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park (family Megalopygidae, New World Flannel Moths) are Trosia incostata (about 10%), Thoscora ribbei (about 10%) and Strawberry Cake Moth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Podalia orsilochus is recorded against all the insects logged in Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park (6 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.
