Anthophila fabriciana
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Anthophila fabriciana, also known as the common nettle-tap, is a moth of the family Choreutidae first described in 1767 by Carl Linnaeus. The moth can be found flying around stinging nettles during the day. This species can be found in most of Europe and it occurs throughout Britain. It is also widespread from China (Taiwan, Xinjiang), the Himalaya, Mongolia, Russia, Korea, Japan (Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku), Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, the Canary Islands, Madeira, Asia Minor, Zakavkazye and the Oriental region. In 2013 it was reported to be present in Canada (Manitoba).
The moth flies in two generation per year from May to October depending on the location and are active during the day. Some adults may overwinter. They can occur wherever stinging nettles occur. Anthophila fabriciana has a wingspan of 10–15 millimetres (0.39–0.59 in). The forewings are a patchwork of dark brownish fuscous marbled with pale grey, with yellowish white costal spot and post-median fascia. The abdomen shows large pale bands.
This species is rather similar to Choreutis pariana, which has whitish markings only along costa. Eggs are laid on the stem, or on either surface... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 3 | Cairngorms National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 4 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 5 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birmingham | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Liverpool | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | Manchester | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 4 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 5 | Leeds | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 6 | Helsinki | 🇫🇮 Finland | |
| 7 | Rotterdam [The Hague] | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 8 | Dublin | 🇮🇪 Ireland | |
| 9 | Brussels | 🇧🇪 Belgium | |
| 10 | Paris | 🇫🇷 France |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Nettle-Tap sighting in Cairngorms National Park on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 219th most-seen of the 300 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.
September
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Common Nettle-Tap in Cairngorms National Park on a given day, against under 5% in October to May, the lowest months.
Between 3 and 6 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Nettle-Tap 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 5 parks where we can rate Common Nettle-Tap sightings, Cairngorms 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 Bavarian Forest National Park (Germany, about 10%).
Same order: Lepidoptera
The closest relatives of the Common Nettle-Tap that you can see in Cairngorms National Park (order Lepidoptera, Butterflies and Moths) are Oak Eggar (about 40%), Scotch Argus (about 40%) and Speckled Wood (about 40%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Common Nettle-Tap is recorded against all the insects logged in Cairngorms 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.
