Mother Of Pearl

Mother Of Pearl

Patania ruralis

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
at Liverpool

In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%

159 Verified sightings at Liverpool
133 In all 8 parks From 2019 to 2026
August Best month
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted

About the Mother Of Pearl

Patania ruralis, the mother of pearl moth, is a species of moth in the grass moth family Crambidae. It was described by Giovanni Antonio Scopoli in 1763. Its common name refers to its almost transparent wings which in oblique lighting show a pale blue pearlescent sheen. This is found in Europe, occurring almost across the continent and the nearshore islands, except for those in the Aegean and Western Mediterranean as well as Cyprus. The adults are on the wing from June to September depending on the location. The caterpillars eat mainly Urtica nettles; occasionally they are found on other eudicots.

The wingspan is 26–40 millimetres (1.0–1.6 in). The forewings are pale whitish-ochreous, yellowish-tinged; a grey subcostal suffusion and connected orbicular dot; lines rather dark grey, first straight, second serrate, curved, strongly broken inwards beneath middle; a dark grey discal mark, nearly followed by a grey blotch; a grey terminal band, edge parallel to second line. Hindwings with colour, discal mark, and posterior markings as in forewings. The caterpillar larva is whitish green, sides greener; dorsal line darker; head green.

The larvae feed mainly... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Białowieża National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
~20%
2 Biebrza National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
~20%
3 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
4 Snowdonia National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
5 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%
6 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
7 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
<5%
8 Sierra de Guadarrama National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Liverpool 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~30%
2 Birmingham 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
3 Kyiv 🇺🇦 Ukraine
~10%
4 London 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
5 Nizhny Novgorod 🇷🇺 Russia
~10%
6 Helsinki 🇫🇮 Finland
~10%
7 Manchester 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
8 Moscow 🇷🇺 Russia
~10%
9 Kharkiv 🇺🇦 Ukraine
~10%
10 Turin 🇮🇹 Italy
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Mother Of Pearl in Liverpool?

Possible

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Mother Of Pearl sighting in Liverpool on a given day, based on 159 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 57th most-seen of the 632 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Mother Of Pearl in Liverpool?

July and August

In those months about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Mother Of Pearl in Liverpool on a given day, against under 5% in October to May, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Mother Of Pearl?

Between 10 pm and 1 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Mother Of Pearl 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 Liverpool the best place to see a Mother Of Pearl?

Yes

Of the 27 cities where we can rate Mother Of Pearl sightings, Liverpool has the highest daily chance: about 30%. Next come Birmingham (United Kingdom, about 10%) and Kyiv (Ukraine, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Mother Of Pearl live in Liverpool?

Same family: Crambidae

The closest relatives of the Mother Of Pearl that you can see in Liverpool (family Crambidae, Crambid Snout Moths) are Box Tree Moth (about 40%), Pearl Veneer (about 30%) and Garden Grass-Veneer (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Mother Of Pearl sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Mother Of Pearl is recorded against all the insects logged in Liverpool (159 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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