Crocallis elinguaria
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
The scalloped oak (Crocallis elinguaria) is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. This common species can be found from Europe to eastern Siberia.
This species inhabits a wide range of habitats, including mixed and deciduous forests, bushes, heaths, scrub, hedgerows, bogs, parks and gardens. The wingspan is 32–46 mm. This is a distinctive species, usually with yellow-tan forewings with a broad orange-brown band and a pointed apex. Females are usually paler. There can be considerable variation, with the central band sometimes the same colour as the rest of the forewing, ranging from pale yellow to orange brown. Melanic forms are also known. There is always a blackish discal spot on the forewing in middle of band towards the costa. The thorax is hairy. The hindwings are plain whitish. Last instar caterpillars have a brownish or yellowish colouration. On the dorsum there is a dark brown line which is extended at the segment incisions. There are sometimes some dark spots or slashes on the sides. Characteristic are two small pointed warts on the eleventh... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 2 | Cairngorms National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 4 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 5 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 6 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Liverpool | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | Manchester | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 4 | Birmingham | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 5 | Leeds | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 6 | Helsinki | 🇫🇮 Finland | |
| 7 | Copenhagen | 🇩🇰 Denmark | |
| 8 | Amsterdam | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 9 | Vienna | 🇦🇹 Austria |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Scalloped Oak sighting in Cairngorms National Park on a given day, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 104th most-seen of the 300 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Scalloped Oak in Cairngorms National Park on a given day, against under 5% in September to June, the lowest months.
Between 11 pm and 2 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Scalloped Oak sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
Among the best
Of the 6 parks where we can rate Scalloped Oak sightings, Cairngorms National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Wadden Sea National Park (Germany, about 10%).
Same family: Geometridae
The closest relatives of the Scalloped Oak that you can see in Cairngorms National Park (family Geometridae, Geometer Moths) are Chimney-Sweeper (about 20%), Bordered White (about 20%) and Common Heath (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Scalloped Oak is recorded against all the insects logged in Cairngorms National Park (15 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.
