Biston betularia
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
The peppered moth (Biston betularia) is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is night flying, and found mainly in temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. Peppered moth evolution is an example of population genetics and natural selection.
The caterpillars of the peppered moth not only mimic the form but also the colour of a twig. Recent research indicates that the caterpillars can sense the twig's colour with their skin and match their body colour to the background to protect themselves from predators.
The wingspan ranges from 45 to 62 mm (1.8 to 2.4 in) with a median of 55 mm (2.2 in). It is relatively stout-bodied, with forewings relatively narrow-elongate. The wings are white, "peppered" with black, and with more-or-less distinct cross lines, also black. These transverse wing lines and "peppered" maculation (spotting) can also, in rare instances, be grey or brown; the spotting pattern, in particularly very rare cases, is sometimes a combination of brown and black/grey. The black speckling varies in amount, in some examples it is almost absent, whilst in others it is so dense that the wings appear to be black sprinkled with white. The antennae of males are strongly... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Nikko National Park | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 3 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Gros Morne National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 6 | Vanoise National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 7 | Pacific Rim National Park Reserve | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 8 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 9 | Cairngorms National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 10 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Jasper National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 12 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 14 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Birmingham | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | Manchester | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 4 | Essen | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 5 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 6 | Berlin | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 7 | Helsinki | 🇫🇮 Finland | |
| 8 | Nizhny Novgorod | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 9 | Munich | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 10 | Copenhagen | 🇩🇰 Denmark |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Peppered Moth sighting in Birmingham on a given day, based on 43 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 203rd 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 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Peppered Moth in Birmingham on a given day, against under 5% in August–September and November–April, the lowest months.
Between 6 and 9 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Peppered Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
2nd of 17
Of the 17 cities where we can rate Peppered Moth sightings, Birmingham ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Liverpool (United Kingdom, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Peppered Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Birmingham (43 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.
