Pelurga comitata
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Pelurga comitata, the dark spinach, is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found throughout the Palearctic, including Europe (except the South-west and the Arctic Region), Siberia, the Russian Far East and northern China
The wingspan is 25–30 mm. The length of the forewings is 16–18 mm. The forewings have a yellow-brown ground colour. The basal field is darker brownish. The midfield is wide, intersected by several lines and has a dark band on the inside. The basic colour of the forewings varies only slightly, in the tints of pale and dark browns. The outside of the midfield is bordered by a dark cross line with a pronounced bend distad. The wing apex is divided by a dark bar. The paler marginal field is marked with a faint wavy line that is shaded on the inside by brownish stains. The hind wings are yellowish grey and have indistinct crossbars.
In ab. ferruginascens Krulik. [the ground colour] becomes bright rust-reddish. - In ab. moldavinata Carad. It is much darker and more unicolorous, the hindwing is also darkened. This latter form, which is recorded from N. Germany, Romnania, the Ural, Ussuri, etc., is perhaps in some localities tending to form a local race. — ab. zonata Wahhgren has the median band entirely brown-black, ground colour normal.
The larva is stout, rugose laterally, segmentation distinct; ochreous brown; dorsum tinged with green and with a row of large V-shaped dark markings on the abdominal segments, pointing forward. The moth flies from mid June to mid September [1].
The larva feeds on orache and goosefoot especially on the flowers and seeds. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kharkiv | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | |
| 2 | Nizhny Novgorod | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 3 | Kyiv | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | |
| 4 | Berlin | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 5 | Helsinki | 🇫🇮 Finland | |
| 6 | Novosibirsk | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 7 | Kazan | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 8 | Minsk | 🇧🇾 Belarus | |
| 9 | Moscow | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 10 | Vienna | 🇦🇹 Austria |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Dark Spinach sighting in Kharkiv on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 168th most-seen of the 289 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Dark Spinach in Kharkiv on a given day, against under 5% in October to July, the lowest months.
Between midnight and 3 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Dark Spinach sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
Yes
Of the 12 cities where we can rate Dark Spinach sightings, Kharkiv has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Nizhny Novgorod (Russia, about 10%) and Kyiv (Ukraine, about 10%).
Same family: Geometridae
The closest relatives of the Dark Spinach that you can see in Kharkiv (family Geometridae, Geometer Moths) are Blood Vein (about 40%), Feathered Thorn (about 20%) and Purple-Barred Yellow (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Dark Spinach is recorded against all the insects logged in Kharkiv (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.
