Idaea seriata
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
The small dusty wave (Idaea seriata) is a moth of the family Geometridae first described by Franz von Paula Schrank in 1802. It is found throughout Western, Central and Northern Europe. In the north, its range extends as far as Denmark and southern Scandinavia. In the east its range extends as far as Russia (Moscow or Veliky Novgorod). Idaea seriata is replaced by the subspecies Idaea seriata canteneraria, from the north-east of Spain and the central and eastern Mediterranean (including the islands, except Crete) to the Crimean peninsula, while the western Mediterranean and the Balearic Islands are inhabited by the sister species Idaea minuscularia. Outside Europe it is found in eastern Algeria, Tunisia, Turkey, Cyprus, the Caucasus and the northwest of Transcaucasia. In Morocco and western Algeria, it is replaced by the sister species Idaea minuscularia. In the British Isles it is common in England and Wales but is only found in the eastern half of Scotland and it is rare in Ireland.
The species is very small (wingspan 19–21 mm) and is probably one of the least striking members of the whole family, being basically grey with all markings indistinct apart from the black discal spot typical of the genus. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 2 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 3 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 4 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Liverpool | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | Rome | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 4 | Vienna | 🇦🇹 Austria | |
| 5 | Copenhagen | 🇩🇰 Denmark | |
| 6 | Rotterdam [The Hague] | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 7 | Berlin | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 8 | Turin | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 9 | Dublin | 🇮🇪 Ireland | |
| 10 | Birmingham | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Small Dusty Wave sighting in London on a given day, based on 636 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 41st most-seen of the 1504 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May and August–September
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Small Dusty Wave in London on a given day, against under 5% in December to March, the lowest months.
Between 9 pm and midnight
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Small Dusty Wave sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Yes
Of the 37 cities where we can rate Small Dusty Wave sightings, London has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Liverpool (United Kingdom, about 20%) and Rome (Italy, about 20%).
Same genus: Idaea
The closest relatives of the Small Dusty Wave that you can see in London (genus Idaea) are Riband Wave (about 20%), Least Carpet (about 20%) and Treble Brown-Spot (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Small Dusty Wave is recorded against all the insects logged in London (636 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.
