Small Dusty Wave

Small Dusty Wave

Idaea seriata

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

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%

18 Verified sightings at Cévennes National Park From 2019 to 2026
76 In all 4 parks
June Best month
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted

About the Small Dusty Wave

The small dusty wave (Idaea seriata) is a moth of the family Geometridae first described by Franz von Paula Schrank in 1802. It is found throughout Western, Central and Northern Europe. In the north, its range extends as far as Denmark and southern Scandinavia. In the east its range extends as far as Russia (Moscow or Veliky Novgorod). Idaea seriata is replaced by the subspecies Idaea seriata canteneraria, from the north-east of Spain and the central and eastern Mediterranean (including the islands, except Crete) to the Crimean peninsula, while the western Mediterranean and the Balearic Islands are inhabited by the sister species Idaea minuscularia. Outside Europe it is found in eastern Algeria, Tunisia, Turkey, Cyprus, the Caucasus and the northwest of Transcaucasia. In Morocco and western Algeria, it is replaced by the sister species Idaea minuscularia. In the British Isles it is common in England and Wales but is only found in the eastern half of Scotland and it is rare in Ireland.

The species is very small (wingspan 19–21 mm) and is probably one of the least striking members of the whole family, being basically grey with all markings indistinct apart from the black discal spot typical of the genus. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%
2 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
3 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
4 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 London 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~20%
2 Liverpool 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~20%
3 Rome 🇮🇹 Italy
~20%
4 Vienna 🇦🇹 Austria
~10%
5 Copenhagen 🇩🇰 Denmark
~10%
6 Rotterdam [The Hague] 🇳🇱 Netherlands
~10%
7 Berlin 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
8 Turin 🇮🇹 Italy
~10%
9 Dublin 🇮🇪 Ireland
~10%
10 Birmingham 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Small Dusty Wave in Cévennes National Park?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Small Dusty Wave sighting in Cévennes National Park on a given day, based on 18 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 382nd 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.

When is the best time to see a Small Dusty Wave in Cévennes National Park?

May–July and September

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Small Dusty Wave in Cévennes National Park on a given day, against under 5% in August and October–April, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Small Dusty Wave?

Between 9 pm and midnight

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Small Dusty Wave 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.

Is Cévennes National Park the best place to see a Small Dusty Wave?

Yes

Of the 4 parks where we can rate Small Dusty Wave sightings, Cévennes National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Bavarian Forest National Park (Germany, about 10%) and Wadden Sea National Park (Germany, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Small Dusty Wave live in Cévennes National Park?

Same genus: Idaea

The closest relatives of the Small Dusty 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.

Where does the Small Dusty Wave sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Small Dusty Wave is recorded against all the insects logged in Cévennes National Park (18 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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