Agrochola lunosa
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
The lunar underwing (Omphaloscelis lunosa) is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Adrian Hardy Haworth in 1809. It has a scattered distribution in western Europe including Spain, Scandinavia and Algeria.
This is a variable species, the forewings ranging from pale buff to dark brown although the paler forms are generally more common. The forewings are usually marked with two dark stigmata and a black streak near the apex. The hindwings are whitish marked with a dark moon-shaped crescent on the hindwing is partially diagnostic and which gives the moth its English name.
The wingspan is 32–38 mm. Forewing varying from pale greyish ochreous to rufous and dark purple brown, the veins generally pale; upper stigmata distinct and filled up with dark, with distinct pale outlines; inner and outer lines double with paler centres, the inner obliquely curved out, the outer simply sinuous; submarginal line pale, preceded by a row of dark spots, and on costa by a black blotch or bar; hindwing whitish, suffused with grey, especially in the female, with large grey cell spot and interrupted submarginal band. The type form is dull red without pale veins... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 2 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 3 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Birmingham | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | Porto | 🇵🇹 Portugal | |
| 4 | Manchester | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 5 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Lunar Underwing sighting in London on a given day, based on 594 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 131st most-seen of the 1504 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September and October
In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Lunar Underwing in London on a given day, against under 5% in November to August, the lowest months.
Between 6 and 9 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Lunar Underwing sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
Yes
Of the 5 cities where we can rate Lunar Underwing sightings, London has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Birmingham (United Kingdom, about 10%) and Porto (Portugal, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Lunar Underwing is recorded against all the insects logged in London (594 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.
