Cucullia umbratica
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The shark (Cucullia umbratica) is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. This species is widespread throughout much of the Palearctic realm (Europe, Russia, Afghanistan, Turkestan, and Mongolia), but has recently also been reported from North America, from the Magdalen Islands in Canada.
These moths inhabit a range of open environments such as heaths, meadows, forest edges, gardens, parks and suburban areas. Cucullia umbratica is a fairly large species, with a wingspan of 52–59 millimetres (2.0–2.3 in). These moths have long, narrow wings giving a streamlined appearance. The forewings are dull brownish grey, the cell and space beyond are paler, with dull greyish buff. A fine black line runs from the base below cell. The usual lines and stigmata are ill defined. Orbicular is represented by two or three dark points, reniform by a curved black line at lower end. Slight black dashes are present before termen, above vein 3 and below vein 2, and a longer black streak appears above middle of vein 4. The hindwings of male are white, with... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 2 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Shark Moth sighting in Bavarian Forest National Park on a given day, based on 16 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 317th 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 to August
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Shark Moth in Bavarian Forest National Park on a given day, against under 5% in September to April, the lowest months.
Between 11 pm and 2 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Shark Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Shark Moth sightings, Bavarian Forest National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Wadden Sea National Park (Germany, under 5%).
Same genus: Cucullia
The closest relatives of the Shark Moth that you can see in Bavarian Forest National Park (genus Cucullia, Hooded Owlets) are Lettuce Shark (about 10%) and Mullein Moth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Shark Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Bavarian Forest National Park (16 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.
