Ecliptopera silaceata
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Ecliptopera silaceata, the small phoenix, is a species of moth in the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Michael Denis and Ignaz Schiffermüller in 1775. The distribution includes most of Europe including the British Isles and extends eastwards through Russia and the Altai and the Vyatskoye, as well as north into the Arctic Circle, and south to the Caucasus. It also occurs in North America.
The wingspan is 23–27 mm. The length of the forewings is 13–17 mm. The basal region is dark grey, and is bordered by a light coloured band in which are mostly dark stains. The very wide discal region is black brown, and often shows a nearly elliptical white "drawing" in the middle. The marginal area is brown with several significant arrow patches. Two or three distally facing peaks continue as orange coloured strokes sometimes up to the outer edge. Below the apex, there are dark arch stains and a white wavy line located at the outer edge. The hind wings are white grey and have bright crosslines as well as a little black heart. The colour of head, thorax, and abdomen is brown. Prout
describes some variants. The larva is long and thin, variable in colour, green or flesh-colour, the thoracic and last 4 abdominal segments with a red or blackish mediodorsal line, the middle segments with blackish dots. The venter has a white line, sometimes pink-edged.
The main habitats of the species are semi-shady areas in deciduous, and mixed forests as well as young forest plantations and heaths. The moths fly in two generations from May to July and from August to September. [1]. The larvae feed mainly on willowherbs. The compact, brownish
green pupa hibernates. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Mercantour National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 3 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 4 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 5 | Cairngorms National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 6 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Manchester | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | Birmingham | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 4 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Small Phoenix sighting in London on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 1153rd 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 Small Phoenix in London on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 6 and 9 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Small Phoenix 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.
4th of 4
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Small Phoenix sightings, London ranks 4th at under 5%. The best odds are in Liverpool (United Kingdom, about 10%), Manchester (United Kingdom, about 10%) and Birmingham (United Kingdom, about 10%).
Same family: Geometridae
The closest relatives of the Small Phoenix 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 Phoenix is recorded against all the insects logged in London (8 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.
