Drinker Moth

Drinker Moth

Euthrix potatoria

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
at Białowieża National Park

In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%

28 Verified sightings at Białowieża National Park From 2019 to 2026
411 In all 5 parks
May Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Drinker Moth

Euthrix potatoria, the drinker, is an orange-brown moth of the family Lasiocampidae. The species' common and scientific names derive from the larva's supposed drinking of drops of dew. The scientific name Euthryx potatoria was given to this moth by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. In choosing the name potatoria 'drinker-like', he was inspired by the Dutch entomologist Johannes Goedaert, who had called the animal dronckaerdt 'drunkard' "because it is very much inclined to drinking". This remark refers to the moth's habit of repeatedly plunging its head into the water. The English name drinker (moth) also refers to Goedaert's analogy.

The imago has a wingspan of 4.5–6.5 cm (1.8–2.6 in). The yellowish females are slightly larger than... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Snowdonia National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~50%
2 Biebrza National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
~40%
3 Białowieża National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
~30%
4 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~20%
5 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Manchester 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
2 Liverpool 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
3 Copenhagen 🇩🇰 Denmark
<5%
4 Birmingham 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%
5 Nizhny Novgorod 🇷🇺 Russia
<5%
6 Paris 🇫🇷 France
<5%
7 Moscow 🇷🇺 Russia
<5%
8 Vienna 🇦🇹 Austria
<5%
9 Saint Petersburg 🇷🇺 Russia
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Drinker Moth in Białowieża National Park?

Possible

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Drinker Moth sighting in Białowieża National Park on a given day, based on 28 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 17th most-seen of the 158 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Drinker Moth in Białowieża National Park?

May and June

In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Drinker Moth in Białowieża National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January–March and October–November, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Drinker Moth?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Drinker Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Białowieża National Park the best place to see a Drinker Moth?

3rd of 5

Of the 5 parks where we can rate Drinker Moth sightings, Białowieża National Park ranks 3rd at about 30%. The best odds are in Snowdonia National Park (United Kingdom, about 50%) and Biebrza National Park (Poland, about 40%). All parks ranked.

Where does the Drinker Moth sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Drinker Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Białowieża National Park (28 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.

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