Acontia trabealis
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Emmelia trabealis, the spotted sulphur, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Giovanni Antonio Scopoli his 1763 Entomologia Carniolica. The species is sometimes placed in the genus Acontia and Emmelia is considered as a subgenus of Acontia.
The spotted sulphur can be found in most of the Palearctic (Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and Russia to northern China and Japan). It was formerly resident in Great Britain, but has not been seen at any known breeding colonies since 25 June 1960 and is presumed extinct there.
This species prefers sandy soil, dry and warm areas, meadows and sunny slopes on which the bindweed occurs. The wingspan of Emmelia trabealis can reach 18–24 mm. The forewings show a very variable black drawings on a yellowish or dirty white background. The rear wings are reddish brown.
Eggs are green, elongated and cone shaped, with a flattened base and distinct longitudinal ribs. Caterpillars are reddish to greenish brown, with dark dorsal lines and a yellow side band, the head is relatively small and brown. Cocoons are red brown or green. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kiskunság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 2 | Fertő-Hanság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 3 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 4 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 5 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Spotted Sulphur sighting in Bavarian Forest National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 964th most-seen of the 1115 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.
May and August
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Spotted Sulphur in Bavarian Forest National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June–July 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 Spotted Sulphur sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
4th of 5
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Spotted Sulphur sightings, Bavarian Forest National Park ranks 4th at under 5%. The best odds are in Kiskunság National Park (Hungary, about 30%), Fertő-Hanság National Park (Hungary, about 20%) and Cévennes National Park (France, about 10%).
Same family: Noctuidae
The closest relatives of the Spotted Sulphur that you can see in Bavarian Forest National Park (family Noctuidae, Cutworm Moths and Allies) are Silver Υ (about 20%), Knot Grass Moth (about 20%) and Large Yellow Underwing (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Spotted Sulphur is recorded against all the insects logged in Bavarian Forest National Park (5 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.
