Platyedra subcinerea
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Platyedra subcinerea, the mallow groundling or cotton stem moth, is a moth of the family Gelechiidae. It is found in most of Europe. It is an in introduced species in North America, where it has been recorded from New England and California, and has also been introduced to New Zealand. The habitat consists of wet meadows, marshes and gardens.
The wingspan is 14–21 mm. The larvae feed on Parietaria officinalis, Urtica species, Althaea officinalis, Lavatera thuringiaca and Malva sylvestris. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Cotton Stem Moth sighting in London on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 1219th most-seen of the 1504 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Cotton Stem Moth in London on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Cotton Stem Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
Among the best
Of the 6 cities where we can rate Cotton Stem Moth sightings, London ranks 4th at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Portland (United States, under 5%), San Diego (United States, under 5%) and Seattle (United States, under 5%).
Same family: Gelechiidae
The closest relatives of the Cotton Stem Moth that you can see in London (family Gelechiidae, Twirler Moths) are Ash-Coloured Crest (about 10%), Dark Groundling (about 10%) and Cinerous Neb (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Cotton Stem Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in London (7 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.
