Manulea complana
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
Manulea complana, the scarce footman, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. It is found throughout the Palearctic region. The wingspan is 28–35 mm. It is very like Eilema morosinum (Herrich-Schäffer, [1847]) but the forewing not so elongate, and the angles not so accentuated, the costal streak broader and brighter yellow, the hindwing duller, not so transparent; the apex of the abdomen brighter yellow. On the underside the disc is very blackish iron grey, and contrasts vividly with the orange-yellow costa and the broad pale yellow marginal area. Hindwing beneath pale yellow, the costa deeper yellow; below costa a grey streak from the base.
The moth flies from June to August depending on the location. Larva blackish dorsally, with narrow lighter lines; subdorsal lines composed of small reddish yellow and white spots; lateral line interrupted, reddish yellow. The larvae feed on lichens such as Parmelia, and also dry and tender leaves.
Kimber, Ian. "72.046 BF2047 Scarce Footman Eilema complana (Linnaeus... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 3 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 4 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Prague | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 3 | Berlin | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 4 | Birmingham | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 5 | Vienna | 🇦🇹 Austria |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Scarce Footman Moth sighting in Bavarian Forest National Park on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 661st 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 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July and August
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Scarce Footman Moth in Bavarian Forest National Park on a given day, against under 5% in September to June, the lowest months.
Between 10 pm and 1 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Scarce Footman Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 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 Scarce Footman Moth sightings, Bavarian Forest National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Snowdonia National Park (United Kingdom, about 10%) and Wadden Sea National Park (Germany, about 10%).
Same family: Erebidae
The closest relatives of the Scarce Footman Moth that you can see in Bavarian Forest National Park (family Erebidae, Underwing, Tiger, Tussock, and Allied Moths) are Burnet Companion (about 20%), Jersey Tiger (about 20%) and Pale Tussock Moth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Scarce Footman Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Bavarian Forest 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.
