Cucullia verbasci
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The mullein moth (Cucullia verbasci) is a noctuid moth with a Palearctic distribution. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. The forewing is broad (for the genus) and brownish ochreous; the costal streak and those preceding and following the lower part of outer line are a deep red brown; the lunules following the line are white and conspicuous; the space below median paler, becoming almost whitish above the outer dark brown streak; the stigmata are marked by dark brown spots; a row of deep brown streaks from apex to vein 6, and another, more faint, from below the apex to the end of cell. The hindwing of the male is whitish, with dark veins and cellspot, becoming diffusely fuscous along the termen; in the female it is darker throughout.
The larva is creamy with black and yellow spots. Cucullia verbasci is difficult to certainly distinguish from these congeners. Shargacucullia scrophulariae (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775) Shargacucullia lychnitis (Rambur, 1833)
It is found in western, southern and central Europe and North Africa. However, there are only individual finds... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Fertő-Hanság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 3 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 4 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birmingham | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Liverpool | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 4 | Manchester | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 5 | Lyon | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 6 | Prague | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 7 | Rome | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 8 | Munich | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 9 | Copenhagen | 🇩🇰 Denmark | |
| 10 | Vienna | 🇦🇹 Austria |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Mullein Moth sighting in Birmingham on a given day, based on 35 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 236th most-seen of the 811 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.
June
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Mullein Moth in Birmingham on a given day, against under 5% in July to April, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Mullein Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 10 cities where we can rate Mullein Moth sightings, Birmingham has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Liverpool (United Kingdom, about 10%) and London (United Kingdom, about 10%).
Same family: Noctuidae
The closest relatives of the Mullein Moth that you can see in Birmingham (family Noctuidae, Cutworm Moths and Allies) are Large Yellow Underwing (about 20%), Silver Υ (about 20%) and Knot Grass Moth (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Mullein Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Birmingham (35 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.
