Idaea ochrata
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
Idaea ochrata, the bright wave, is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found in Europe. The species has a wingspan of 21–24 mm. The adults fly at night from late June to early August in one generation [1]. The species overwinters as a larva.
The larvae feed on the flowers of hawk's beard (Crepis sp.), dandelion (Taraxacum) and coltsfoot (Tussaligo) in captivity. In the wild the larvae feed on Smooth Tare and the flowers of Hare's-foot Clover. ^The flight season refers to the British Isles. This may vary in other parts of the range. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sierra Nevada National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 2 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 3 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 4 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Bright Wave sighting in Cévennes National Park on a given day, based on 41 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 283rd most-seen of the 996 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.
May to August
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Bright Wave in Cévennes National Park on a given day, against under 5% in September to April, the lowest months.
Between 11 pm and 2 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Bright Wave sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
Among the best
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Bright Wave sightings, Cévennes National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Sierra Nevada National Park (Spain, about 10%).
Same genus: Idaea
The closest relatives of the Bright Wave that you can see in Cévennes National Park (genus Idaea) are Portland Ribbon Wave (about 10%), Satin Wave (about 10%) and Idaea ostrinaria (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Bright Wave is recorded against all the insects logged in Cévennes National Park (41 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.
