Aphomia sociella
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Aphomia sociella, also known as the bee moth and the bumble bee wax moth, is a small moth of the family Pyralidae (snout moths) and subfamily Galleriinae. Its body and forewings are typically reddish brown, tan, or dark green in color and females have a dark spot in the center of each forewing. The bee moth is native to Europe and are named "bee moths" because they seek out nests of bees and wasps to lay their eggs. Aphomia sociella are considered a pest because the bee moth larvae severely damage commercial bee hives. Bee moths are also studied for their unique mating ritual which includes a release of pheromones from both the male and the female along with an ultrasonic signal emitted through the male's tymbals.
The adult bee moth has a wingspan of 18-40 millimetres (0.71-1.57 inches). The body and forewings are typically reddish brown, tan, or dark green in color. This species is an example of sexual dimorphism where the male moths are generally more brightly colored and more distinctly patterned compared to the female moths. The females also contain a dark spot on the center of each of their forewings.
The bee moth is commonly found in Europe... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 2 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | Cairngorms National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 4 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 5 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 6 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | Manchester | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 4 | Birmingham | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 5 | Helsinki | 🇫🇮 Finland | |
| 6 | Leeds | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 7 | Copenhagen | 🇩🇰 Denmark | |
| 8 | Amsterdam | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 9 | Stockholm | 🇸🇪 Sweden | |
| 10 | Rotterdam [The Hague] | 🇳🇱 Netherlands |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Bee Moth sighting in Leeds on a given day, based on 29 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 65th most-seen of the 284 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.
June
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Bee Moth in Leeds on a given day, against under 5% in August to March, the lowest months.
Between 10 pm and 1 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Bee Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
6th of 35
Of the 35 cities where we can rate Bee Moth sightings, Leeds ranks 6th at about 10%. The best odds are in Liverpool (United Kingdom, about 30%), London (United Kingdom, about 10%) and Manchester (United Kingdom, about 10%).
Same order: Lepidoptera
The closest relatives of the Bee Moth that you can see in Leeds (order Lepidoptera, Butterflies and Moths) are Speckled Wood (about 30%), European Comma (about 30%) and Red Admiral (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Bee Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Leeds (29 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.
