Ectropis crepuscularia
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The engrailed and small engrailed (Ectropis crepuscularia) are moths of the family Geometridae found from the British Isles through central and eastern Europe to the Russian Far East and Kazakhstan. The western Mediterranean and Asia Minor and the Caucasus represent the southern limit of the distribution (with the Balkan countries). In the north, the distribution area ends at the Arctic Circle. It also occurs in North America. Debate exists as to whether they make up one species, or whether E. crepuscularia actually refers only to the small engrailed, with the engrailed proper being separable as E. bistortata.
The ground colour of the wings is buff or grey, variably marked with darker fascia and a pale postdiscal crossline. The darker markings are not usually as strong as in the rather similar willow beauty. Melanic forms occur fairly frequently. The wingspan is 38–45 mm (1.5–1.8 in). One or two broods are produced each year. In the British Isles, the adults can be seen at any time between March and August; this time range may vary in other parts of this moth's range. The species flies at night and is attracted to light.
The greyish caterpillar is truly polyphagous, feeding on a huge range of plants. As a caterpillar, the species is known as the saddleback looper. The species overwinters as a pupa. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 3 | Triglav National Park | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | |
| 4 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 5 | Cairngorms National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 6 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 7 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 8 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Small Engrailed sighting in Cairngorms National Park on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 156th 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.
March and April
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Small Engrailed in Cairngorms National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June to February, the lowest months.
Between 6 and 9 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Small Engrailed sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
5th of 8
Of the 8 parks where we can rate Small Engrailed sightings, Cairngorms National Park ranks 5th at about 10%. The best odds are in Snowdonia National Park (United Kingdom, about 20%), Wadden Sea National Park (Germany, about 10%) and Triglav National Park (Slovenia, about 10%).
Same family: Geometridae
The closest relatives of the Small Engrailed 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 Small Engrailed is recorded against all the insects logged in Cairngorms National Park (10 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.
