Catarhoe cuculata
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Catarhoe cuculata, the royal mantle, is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Johann Siegfried Hufnagel in 1767. It is found from Europe to western Central Asia and east Siberia. The species prefers to live in light forests and forest edges, but also occurs on meadows.
The wingspan is 22–27 mm. The basic or ground colour of the wings is whitish. The base of the forewing is black with a red-brown band, and at the apex are two reddish-brown stains that pass into a red-brown crossline and a dark brown and black spot (separated by a thin black crossline). The first crossline near the base of the forewing is red with a thick black border. It is characterized by the alternate bands of chestnut and blackish brown in the proximal area, the white median area and the form of the postmedian band— ab. circulata Rbl. is a remarkable and perhaps unique aberration in which the dark bands of the central area are connected on the subcostal and median veins, enclosing a roundish white patch. The larva is green or yellowish with conspicuous blackish or dark purple subdorsal stripes. The pupa is reddish, with browner wings.
Adults are on wing from April to August in one generation. The larvae feed on Galium species. Larvae can be found in July to September. It overwinters as a pupa. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercantour National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 2 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Royal Mantle sighting in Bavarian Forest National Park on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 523rd 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 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May and July–August
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Royal Mantle in Bavarian Forest National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June and September–April, the lowest months.
Between 10 pm and 1 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Royal Mantle sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
Among the best
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Royal Mantle sightings, Bavarian Forest National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Mercantour National Park (France, about 10%).
Same family: Geometridae
The closest relatives of the Royal Mantle that you can see in Bavarian Forest National Park (family Geometridae, Geometer Moths) are Common Heath (about 20%), Latticed Heath (about 20%) and Yellow Shell Moth (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Royal Mantle is recorded against all the insects logged in Bavarian Forest National Park (10 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.
