Swallow-Tailed Moth

Swallow-Tailed Moth

Ourapteryx sambucaria

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Leeds

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%

8 Verified sightings at Leeds
60 In all 5 parks From 2019 to 2026
July Best month
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted

About the Swallow-Tailed Moth

The swallow-tailed moth (Ourapteryx sambucaria) is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. It is a common species across Europe and the Near East. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Snowdonia National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
2 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%
3 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
4 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%
5 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
<5%

Cities Where Found

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

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Swallow-Tailed Moth in Leeds?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Swallow-Tailed Moth sighting in Leeds on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 195th most-seen of the 284 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Swallow-Tailed Moth in Leeds?

July

In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Swallow-Tailed Moth in Leeds on a given day, against under 5% in August to June, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Swallow-Tailed Moth?

Between 10 pm and 1 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Swallow-Tailed Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.

Is Leeds the best place to see a Swallow-Tailed Moth?

5th of 7

Of the 7 cities where we can rate Swallow-Tailed Moth sightings, Leeds ranks 5th at about 10%. The best odds are in Liverpool (United Kingdom, about 20%), Manchester (United Kingdom, about 10%) and Birmingham (United Kingdom, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Swallow-Tailed Moth live in Leeds?

Same family: Geometridae

The closest relatives of the Swallow-Tailed Moth that you can see in Leeds (family Geometridae, Geometer Moths) are Riband Wave (about 10%), Small Dusty Wave (about 10%) and Garden Carpet (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Swallow-Tailed Moth sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Swallow-Tailed Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Leeds (8 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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