Plagodis dolabraria
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Plagodis dolabraria, the scorched wing, is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1767. It is found throughout Europe and through the Palearctic, east to Transcaucasia, south east Siberia and Japan.
The wingspan is 28–32 mm. The length of the forewings is 16–19 mm. Forewing with innumerable fine, slightly oblique, transverse striae, no distinct lines; the postmedian on both wings indicated by a thick dark fuscous shade posteriorly, distally to which (especially on hindwing) there is an ill-defined purplish blotch reaching to the hinder angle. Ab. atrox Zerny is a melanotic form, forewing mostly dark chestnut brown, towards the base and hinder angle black.
The moth flies in one generation from the beginning of May to mid-July [1]. The larva is twig like, brownish and variegated. The thorax is darker dorsally, there is a hump on the 5th abdominal and a transverse mark near the tail is also dark.
The larva feeds on various deciduous trees such as oak, birch and sallow. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 3 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 4 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vienna | 🇦🇹 Austria |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Scorched Wing sighting in Cévennes National Park on a given day, based on 21 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 401st 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 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Scorched Wing in Cévennes National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June and August–April, the lowest months.
Between 10 pm and 1 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Scorched Wing sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 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 Scorched Wing sightings, Cévennes National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Snowdonia National Park (United Kingdom, about 10%).
Same family: Geometridae
The closest relatives of the Scorched Wing that you can see in Cévennes National Park (family Geometridae, Geometer Moths) are Willow Beauty (about 20%), Portland Ribbon Wave (about 10%) and Chimney-Sweeper (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Scorched Wing is recorded against all the insects logged in Cévennes National Park (21 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.
