Habrosyne pyritoides
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
The buff arches (Habrosyne pyritoides) is a moth of the family Drepanidae. The species was first described by Johann Siegfried Hufnagel in 1766. It is found throughout Europe and is well distributed in the British Isles except the far north of England and all of Scotland. They live in deciduous and coniferous forests with large populations of their foodplants, but also in gardens and parks.
This is a distinctive and attractive species; its grey-brown forewings are marked with bold buff-orange "arches". The hindwings are grey with white margins. The wingspan is 40–45 mm. It flies from June to August[1] and is attracted to light and sugar.
The young caterpillars are dark brown to grey-brown and more clearly spotted than the later caterpillar stages. These are brown-red and have a narrow dark dorsal line with indistinct light side spots. They have white spots on the sides of the three front abdominal segments, which become smaller to the rear, or just such a spot on the first abdominal segment. The larva feeds on bramble, hawthorn and hazel. The species overwinters as a pupa.
This moth is one of many insects that has been badly affected by light pollution with the species population declining by 62% since the 1970s. ^ The flight season refers to the British Isles. This may vary in other parts of the range. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 3 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 4 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Porto | 🇵🇹 Portugal | |
| 2 | Liverpool | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | Turin | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 4 | Manchester | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 5 | Birmingham | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 6 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Buff Arches sighting in Bavarian Forest National Park on a given day, based on 18 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 269th most-seen of the 1115 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Buff Arches in Bavarian Forest National Park on a given day, against under 5% in September to May, the lowest months.
Between 10 pm and 1 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Buff Arches sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
Among the best
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Buff Arches sightings, Bavarian Forest National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Snowdonia National Park (United Kingdom, about 10%).
Same family: Drepanidae
The closest relatives of the Buff Arches that you can see in Bavarian Forest National Park (family Drepanidae, Hooktip and False Owlet Moths) are Peach Blossom Moth (about 10%), Pebble Hook-Tip (about 10%) and Oak Hook-Tip (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Buff Arches is recorded against all the insects logged in Bavarian Forest National Park (18 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.
