Scopula imitaria
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
Scopula imitaria, the small blood-vein, is a moth of the family Geometridae. It was first described by Jacob Hübner in 1799 and it is found throughout Europe and in North Africa. The wingspan is 12–26 mm. (1st generation); the next generation is typically much smaller and reaches no more than 18 mm. The forewing leading edge (costa) forms an acute angle with the outer edge forming a sharp point. The hindwings also come to a sharp angle in the middle of the outer edge (a "tail"). The pattern and colouring are variable. The wings are reddish, yellowish or orange to light brown. The lines and marginal line are almost always clear, but fine. The median crossline is clearly developed and inclined slightly diagonally to the inner and outer crossline. It is slightly curved and very weakly wavy and often accompanied by a distal facing shadow. The interior and exterior crosslines are slightly wavy (more clearly than the median line). The hindwings have the pattern, however they often lack the inner crossline. The outer cross line shows a pointed bulge outwards, which follows the "tail" of the perimeter. Discal flecks are only sometimes present or weak, They are more pronounced... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sierra Nevada National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 2 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 3 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 4 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Small Blood-Vein sighting in London on a given day, based on 223 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 159th 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.
June and August
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Small Blood-Vein in London on a given day, against under 5% in October to April, the lowest months.
Between 10 pm and 1 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Small Blood-Vein sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
Yes
Of the 8 cities where we can rate Small Blood-Vein sightings, London has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Turin (Italy, about 10%) and Porto (Portugal, about 10%).
Same family: Geometridae
The closest relatives of the Small Blood-Vein that you can see in London (family Geometridae, Geometer Moths) are Riband Wave (about 20%), Least Carpet (about 20%) and Double-Striped Pug (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Small Blood-Vein is recorded against all the insects logged in London (223 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.
