Araschnia levana
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
The map (Araschnia levana) is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found from Spain through Europe and east through the Palearctic to Central Asia and the Russian Far East to Korea and Japan. The map exhibits seasonal dimorphism which means it has two different forms, depending on whether its larva grows in the summer or the winter. The summer form has black wings, while the winter form – adapted for diapause – has red wings. Before the butterfly was fully understood, these were thought to be two different species, with the summer form originally classified as A. prorsa. These are now referred to as morphs of A. levana, named levana and prorsa.
The area of distribution of the map extends from Spain through Europe and east through the Palearctic to Central Asia and the Russian Far East to Korea and Japan. Despite a temporary decline in individual regions of Europe, there has been a general increase within the populated areas for more than 100 years.
In Germany, the map was only locally represented until the 1930s, from the middle of the century it was already widespread and in places frequently encountered. In the second half... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biebrza National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 2 | Białowieża National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 3 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 4 | Gauja National Park | 🇱🇻 Latvia | |
| 5 | Tatra National Park | 🇸🇰 Slovakia | |
| 6 | Fertő-Hanság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 7 | Aigüestortes National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 8 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 9 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prague | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 2 | Amsterdam | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 3 | Warsaw | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 4 | Novosibirsk | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 5 | Brussels | 🇧🇪 Belgium | |
| 6 | Helsinki | 🇫🇮 Finland | |
| 7 | Munich | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 8 | Rotterdam [The Hague] | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 9 | Minsk | 🇧🇾 Belarus | |
| 10 | Nizhny Novgorod | 🇷🇺 Russia |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Map sighting in Białowieża National Park on a given day, based on 52 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 4th most-seen of the 158 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Map in Białowieża National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January–March and September–November, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Map sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 9 parks where we can rate Map sightings, Białowieża National Park ranks 2nd at about 40%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Biebrza National Park (Poland, about 40%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Nymphalidae
The closest relatives of the Map that you can see in Białowieża National Park (family Nymphalidae, Brush-footed Butterflies) are Silver-Washed Fritillary (about 40%), European Comma (about 30%) and European Peacock Butterfly (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Map is recorded against all the insects logged in Białowieża National Park (52 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.
