Speckled Wood

Speckled Wood

Pararge aegeria

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Athens

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

9 Verified sightings at Athens
1,823 In all 23 parks From 2019 to 2026
June Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Speckled Wood

The speckled wood (Pararge aegeria) is a butterfly found in and on the borders of woodland areas throughout much of the Palearctic realm. The species is subdivided into multiple subspecies, including Pararge aegeria aegeria, Pararge aegeria tircis, Pararge aegeria oblita, and Pararge aegeria insula. The color of this butterfly varies between subspecies. The existence of these subspecies is due to variation in morphology down a gradient corresponding to a geographic cline. The background of the wings ranges from brown to orange, and the spots are either pale yellow, white, cream, or a tawny orange. The speckled wood feeds on a variety of grass species. The males of this species exhibit two types of mate locating behaviors: territorial defense and patrolling. The proportion of males exhibiting these two strategies changes based on ecological conditions. The monandrous female must choose which type of male can help her reproduce successfully. Her decision is heavily influenced by environmental conditions.

The speckled wood belongs to the genus Pararge, which comprises three species: Pararge aegeria, Pararge xiphia, and Pararge xiphioides. Pararge xiphia occurs on the Atlantic... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Picos de Europa National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~50%
2 Aigüestortes National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~40%
3 Snowdonia National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~40%
4 Cairngorms National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~40%
5 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
~30%
6 Sierra Nevada National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~30%
7 Triglav National Park 🇸🇮 Slovenia
~30%
8 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
~30%
9 Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~30%
10 Sierra de Guadarrama National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~30%
11 Biebrza National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
~30%
12 Monfragüe National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~30%
13 Białowieża National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
~20%
14 Gauja National Park 🇱🇻 Latvia
~20%
15 Camargue 🇫🇷 France
~20%
16 Doñana National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~20%
17 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~20%
18 Mercantour National Park 🇫🇷 France
~20%
19 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~20%
20 Tatra National Park 🇸🇰 Slovakia
~10%
21 Hohe Tauern National Park 🇦🇹 Austria
~10%
22 Fertő-Hanság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~10%
23 Ecrins National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Rabat 🇲🇦 Morocco
~50%
2 Liverpool 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~50%
3 Birmingham 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~50%
4 Manchester 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~50%
5 Tangier 🇲🇦 Morocco
~40%
6 London 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~40%
7 Leeds 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~30%
8 Lyon 🇫🇷 France
~30%
9 Algiers 🇩🇿 Algeria
~30%
10 Barcelona 🇪🇸 Spain
~30%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Speckled Wood in Athens?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Speckled Wood sighting in Athens on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 137th most-seen of the 242 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 Speckled Wood in Athens?

June

In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Speckled Wood in Athens on a given day, against under 5% in May and July–February, the lowest months. That is one of Athens's driest months, with about 20 mm of rain against 85 mm in December.

What time of day is best to see a Speckled Wood?

Between 11 am and 2 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Speckled Wood sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Athens the best place to see a Speckled Wood?

42nd of 44

Of the 44 cities where we can rate Speckled Wood sightings, Athens ranks 42nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Rabat (Morocco, about 50%), Liverpool (United Kingdom, about 50%) and Birmingham (United Kingdom, about 50%).

Where does the Speckled Wood sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Speckled Wood is recorded against all the insects logged in Athens (9 verified sightings), 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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