Noctua pronuba
In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%
The large yellow underwing (Noctua pronuba) is a moth, the type species for the family Noctuidae. It is an abundant species throughout the palearctic, one of the most common and most familiar moths of the region. In some years the species is highly migratory with large numbers appearing suddenly in marginal parts of the range.
Adults have a wingspan of around 45-55 mm. The patterns and colours on the forewings vary widely by specimen, though the yellow-orange underwings with a black stripe at the base remain consistent. As with other Noctua species (and numerous other insects), this contrast of bland-on-land and bright-in-flight is used to confuse potential predators. It will visit flowers such as Buddleia, ragwort, and red valerian.
This adult flies at night from mid to late summer and is attracted to light, sometimes in huge numbers. The larvae, of the cutworm type, can be found from late summer to early spring, feeding at night and hiding underground at day, they are green or brown with two rows of black dashes along the back.
Antennae in male ciliated. Forewings ochreous-brown to dark fuscous, sometimes... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 3 | Cairngorms National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 4 | Mercantour National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 5 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 6 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 7 | Białowieża National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 8 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 9 | Pacific Rim National Park Reserve | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 10 | Sierra Nevada National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 11 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 12 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 14 | Triglav National Park | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | |
| 15 | Camargue | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 16 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 17 | Olympic National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 18 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 19 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Manchester | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 4 | Birmingham | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 5 | Amsterdam | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 6 | Portland | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Ankara | 🇹🇷 Turkey | |
| 8 | Copenhagen | 🇩🇰 Denmark | |
| 9 | Leeds | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 10 | Sofia | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria |
Likely
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Large Yellow Underwing sighting in Liverpool on a given day, based on 665 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 2nd most-seen of the 632 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August and September
In those months about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Large Yellow Underwing in Liverpool on a given day, against under 5% in February, the lowest month.
Between 6 and 9 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Large Yellow Underwing sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
Yes
Of the 61 cities where we can rate Large Yellow Underwing sightings, Liverpool has the highest daily chance: about 50%. Next come Manchester (United Kingdom, about 30%) and London (United Kingdom, about 30%).
Same genus: Noctua
The closest relatives of the Large Yellow Underwing that you can see in Liverpool (genus Noctua, Yellow Underwings) are Lesser Yellow Underwing (about 40%), Lesser Broad-Bordered Yellow Underwing (about 30%) and Broad-Bordered Yellow Underwing (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Large Yellow Underwing is recorded against all the insects logged in Liverpool (665 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.
