Speckled Wood

Speckled Wood

Pararge aegeria

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
at Leeds

In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%

239 Verified sightings at Leeds
1,823 In all 23 parks From 2019 to 2026
August Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Speckled Wood

The speckled wood (Pararge aegeria) is a butterfly found in and on the borders of woodland areas throughout much of the Palearctic realm. The species is subdivided into multiple subspecies, including Pararge aegeria aegeria, Pararge aegeria tircis, Pararge aegeria oblita, and Pararge aegeria insula. The color of this butterfly varies between subspecies. The existence of these subspecies is due to variation in morphology down a gradient corresponding to a geographic cline. The background of the wings ranges from brown to orange, and the spots are either pale yellow, white, cream, or a tawny orange. The speckled wood feeds on a variety of grass species. The males of this species exhibit two types of mate locating behaviors: territorial defense and patrolling. The proportion of males exhibiting these two strategies changes based on ecological conditions. The monandrous female must choose which type of male can help her reproduce successfully. Her decision is heavily influenced by environmental conditions.

The speckled wood belongs to the genus Pararge, which comprises three species: Pararge aegeria, Pararge xiphia, and Pararge xiphioides. Pararge xiphia occurs on the Atlantic... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Picos de Europa National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~50%
2 Aigüestortes National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~40%
3 Snowdonia National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~40%
4 Cairngorms National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~40%
5 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
~30%
6 Sierra Nevada National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~30%
7 Triglav National Park 🇸🇮 Slovenia
~30%
8 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
~30%
9 Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~30%
10 Sierra de Guadarrama National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~30%
11 Biebrza National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
~30%
12 Monfragüe National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~30%
13 Białowieża National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
~20%
14 Gauja National Park 🇱🇻 Latvia
~20%
15 Camargue 🇫🇷 France
~20%
16 Doñana National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~20%
17 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~20%
18 Mercantour National Park 🇫🇷 France
~20%
19 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~20%
20 Tatra National Park 🇸🇰 Slovakia
~10%
21 Hohe Tauern National Park 🇦🇹 Austria
~10%
22 Fertő-Hanság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~10%
23 Ecrins National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Rabat 🇲🇦 Morocco
~50%
2 Liverpool 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~50%
3 Birmingham 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~50%
4 Manchester 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~50%
5 Tangier 🇲🇦 Morocco
~40%
6 London 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~40%
7 Leeds 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~30%
8 Lyon 🇫🇷 France
~30%
9 Algiers 🇩🇿 Algeria
~30%
10 Barcelona 🇪🇸 Spain
~30%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Speckled Wood in Leeds?

Possible

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Speckled Wood sighting in Leeds on a given day, based on 239 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 2nd most-seen of the 284 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Speckled Wood in Leeds?

April, June and August–September

In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Speckled Wood in Leeds on a given day, against under 5% in November to March, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Speckled Wood?

Between 11 am and 2 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Speckled Wood sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Leeds the best place to see a Speckled Wood?

7th of 44

Of the 44 cities where we can rate Speckled Wood sightings, Leeds ranks 7th at about 30%. The best odds are in Rabat (Morocco, about 50%), Liverpool (United Kingdom, about 50%) and Birmingham (United Kingdom, about 50%).

Which relatives of the Speckled Wood live in Leeds?

Same family: Nymphalidae

The closest relatives of the Speckled Wood that you can see in Leeds (family Nymphalidae, Brush-footed Butterflies) are European Comma (about 30%), Red Admiral (about 20%) and Small Tortoiseshell (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Speckled Wood sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Speckled Wood is recorded against all the insects logged in Leeds (239 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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