Lasiocampa quercus
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
The oak eggar (Lasiocampa quercus) is a common moth of the family Lasiocampidae found in Europe and northern and western parts of Asia. It feeds on a variety of plant species (mainly heather and bilberry), and may develop over two years in higher latitudes, where it may be known as the northern eggar. Its specific name quercus refers to the fact that its cocoon generally resembles an acorn, not that its primary food source is oak.
The oak eggar's habitat is wide-ranging, including scrub, heath, moor, downland, hedges and sea cliffs, reflecting the larva's very varied range of food plants. The moth's wingspan is about 45 mm (male) to 75 mm (female), the female being larger and paler than the male. It is Britain's largest day-flying moth.
The oak eggar is on the wing for about two months between May and September, depending on the latitude. In more northerly latitudes, development can span two years, with larvae overwintering the first year, and the pupae in the second year. In northern areas it is known as the northern eggar; this was formerly thought to be a separate species, but is generally assumed to be a subspecies Lasiocampa quercus callunae... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hohe Tauern National Park | 🇦🇹 Austria | |
| 2 | Cairngorms National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | Tatra National Park | 🇸🇰 Slovakia | |
| 4 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 5 | Aigüestortes National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 6 | Biebrza National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 7 | Triglav National Park | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | |
| 8 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 9 | Ecrins National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 10 | Mercantour National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 11 | Vanoise National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 12 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 13 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 14 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 15 | Fertő-Hanság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 16 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report an Oak Eggar sighting in Cairngorms National Park on a given day, based on 167 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 2nd most-seen of the 300 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.
March
In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report an Oak Eggar in Cairngorms National Park on a given day, against under 5% in December and January, the lowest months.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Oak Eggar sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 16 parks where we can rate Oak Eggar sightings, Cairngorms National Park ranks 2nd at about 40%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Hohe Tauern National Park (Austria, about 40%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Oak Eggar is recorded against all the insects logged in Cairngorms National Park (167 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.
