Dusky Heath

Dusky Heath

Coenonympha dorus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Cévennes National Park

In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%

33 Verified sightings at Cévennes National Park From 2019 to 2026
49 In all 3 parks
July Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Dusky Heath

Coenonympha dorus, the dusky heath, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in south-western Europe and North Africa. The length of the forewings is 16–17 mm. Seitz C. dorus Esp. (= dorilis Bkh., dorion Hbn.) (48 f). male above entirely shaded with soot-colour, except the posterior portion of the disc of the hindwing; female reddish yellow with a broad black apex and distal margin to both wings. The hindwing above has a curved, proximally convex row of ocelli, which is very irregular on the underside.

The larvae feed on various grasses. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Sierra Nevada National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~10%
2 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%
3 Mercantour National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Dusky Heath in Cévennes National Park?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Dusky Heath sighting in Cévennes National Park on a given day, based on 33 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 232nd 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.

When is the best time to see a Dusky Heath in Cévennes National Park?

July

In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Dusky Heath in Cévennes National Park on a given day, against under 5% in October to May, the lowest months. That is one of Cévennes National Park's driest months, with about 35 mm of rain against 260 mm in October.

What time of day is best to see a Dusky Heath?

Between 11 am and 2 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Dusky Heath sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Cévennes National Park the best place to see a Dusky Heath?

Among the best

Of the 3 parks where we can rate Dusky Heath 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%).

Which relatives of the Dusky Heath live in Cévennes National Park?

Same genus: Coenonympha

The closest relatives of the Dusky Heath that you can see in Cévennes National Park (genus Coenonympha) are Small Heath (about 30%) and Pearly Heath (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Dusky Heath sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Dusky Heath is recorded against all the insects logged in Cévennes National Park (33 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.

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