Dusky Thorn

Dusky Thorn

Ennomos fuscantaria

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Essen

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

5 Verified sightings at Essen
45 In all 3 parks From 2019 to 2026
September Best month
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted

About the Dusky Thorn

Ennomos fuscantaria, the dusky thorn, is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species can be found in the western part of the Palearctic realm in western Europe and from central Scandinavia its range extends to the northern Mediterranean and east to Russia.

The wingspan is 35–40 mm. The ground colour is ochre yellow. There are violet-grey flecks on the forewing and an oblong discal spot. The fasciae (bands) are grey brown. On the hindwing the grey brown transverse line hides a small discal spot.

Other Ennomos species are similar. The moth is on wing from July to October depending on the location. The caterpillars feed on ash (Fraxinus excelsior), but also privet (Ligustrum species) and other shrubs. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Snowdonia National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
2 Sierra de Guadarrama National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~10%
3 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Liverpool 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~20%
2 London 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
3 Birmingham 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
4 Manchester 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
5 Leeds 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%
6 Essen 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%
7 Copenhagen 🇩🇰 Denmark
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Dusky Thorn in Essen?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Dusky Thorn sighting in Essen on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 381st most-seen of the 434 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Dusky Thorn in Essen?

August and September

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Dusky Thorn in Essen on a given day, against under 5% in October to July, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Dusky Thorn?

Between 10 pm and 1 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Dusky Thorn 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.

Is Essen the best place to see a Dusky Thorn?

6th of 7

Of the 7 cities where we can rate Dusky Thorn sightings, Essen ranks 6th at under 5%. The best odds are in Liverpool (United Kingdom, about 20%), London (United Kingdom, about 10%) and Birmingham (United Kingdom, about 10%).

Where does the Dusky Thorn sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Dusky Thorn is recorded against all the insects logged in Essen (5 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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