Lampropteryx suffumata
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
Lampropteryx suffumata, the water carpet, is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found from Europe to the Altai Mountains, Khabarovsk Krai and the Kamchatka Peninsula in the far east of Russia, and Hokkaido, Japan. In 2000, the species was discovered in Alaska, United States, and then in 2008 DNA-barcoding analysis of museum specimens identified several Canadian specimens, thereby extending the geographical range from Ireland in the west, across Eurasia, to the west of North America. The habitat consists of damp woodland, grassy areas, chalk downland and scrubland.
The wingspan is 25–32 mm. The ground colour is brownish. Between the wingbase and the midfield, as well as between the central and margin field is a whitish lateral band. The dark midfield is serrated on both sides. The outer cross-line limiting the midfield and shows a clearly protruding double wave. The margin field is heavily obscured below the apex. The hind wings are pale grey and have a strongly curved dark cross line.
In northern Europe, adults are in the wing from March to June in one generation. Larvae Adult caterpillars have a brown basic coloration. On the dorsum, there is reddish-brown... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercantour National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 2 | Cairngorms National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Water Carpet Moth sighting in Cairngorms National Park on a given day, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 142nd 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 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Water Carpet Moth in Cairngorms National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July to March, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Water Carpet Moth 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.
Among the best
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Water Carpet Moth sightings, Cairngorms National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Mercantour National Park (France, about 10%).
Same family: Geometridae
The closest relatives of the Water Carpet Moth 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 Water Carpet Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Cairngorms National Park (11 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.
