Satyrus actaea
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Satyrus actaea, the black satyr, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in South-Western Europe, Asia Minor, Syria, Iran and Baluchistan (SW Pakistan). The length of the forewings is 24 to 28 mm. Upperside of male black-brown, with a dark sheen in live specimens: the 2 ocelli of the forewing mostly represented only by the small bluish white pupils. In old specimens, with the ground-colour faded, the pupil is bordered with deep black. Between the ocelli of the forewing sometimes 2 minute white dots. The number of the ocelli may be enlarged or diminished as in all Satyrus, e. g. merula Schultz, ornata Schultz. In the female the distal band is indicated by a paler, sometimes yellowish brown tint, and the ocelli are
considerably larger than in the male. Underside different in the various forms, with a distinctly defined distal ban, a dark dentate line in the cell and across the hindwing, and a somewhat irregular submarginal line. The butterfly is on wing in July and August in one generation. The habitat is rocky places at 600 to 1,800 m. The larvae feed on various grasses (Brachypodium and Bromus sp. and sedges). Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aigüestortes National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 2 | Sierra Nevada National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 3 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 4 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 5 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Black Satyr sighting in Cévennes National Park on a given day, based on 29 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 267th most-seen of the 996 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.
August
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Black Satyr in Cévennes National Park on a given day, against under 5% in October to June, the lowest months. That is one of Cévennes National Park's driest months, with about 55 mm of rain against 260 mm in October.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black Satyr sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 5
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Black Satyr sightings, Cévennes National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Aigüestortes National Park (Spain, about 20%) and Sierra Nevada National Park (Spain, about 20%).
Same genus: Satyrus
The closest relatives of the Black Satyr that you can see in Cévennes National Park (genus Satyrus) are Satyrus briseis (about 10%) and Great Sooty Satyr (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black Satyr is recorded against all the insects logged in Cévennes National Park (29 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.
