Oligia latruncula
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Oligia latruncula, the tawny marbled minor, is a species of moth belonging to the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Michael Denis and Ignaz Schiffermüller in 1775. It is distributed throughout Europe from northern Scotland and middle Fennoscandia in the north and then south to central Spain, Sicily and Greece. In the east, the species ranges to Western Asia. In the Alps it rises to an altitude of 2000 meters.
This species is extremely similar to the marbled minor (Oligia strigilis) and the rufous minor (Oligia versicolor) and specific identification usually requires close study of the genitalia. See Townsend et al. for genitalia images and an identification key. With a wingspan of 24–27 mm, O. latruncula is usually the smallest of the three, although they all overlap in size. Well-marked specimens often have noticeably dark forewings, with a blackish basal area and a coppery brown, rather than whitish, subterminal band. However, melanism is very common in this species and all-dark specimens constitute 100% of the population in some areas. O. latruncula flies at night from May to August[1] and is attracted to light and sugar.
The larva feeds internally on the stems of various grasses including Calamagrostis and Dactylis, pupating in a cocoon among the roots. This species overwinters as a larva. ^ The flight season refers to the British Isles. This may vary in other parts of the range. Wikipedia →
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More parks will be added in future updates.
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Tawny Marbled Minor sighting in London on a given day, based on 55 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 547th 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 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May and June
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Tawny Marbled Minor in London on a given day, against under 5% in July to April, the lowest months.
2nd of 3
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Tawny Marbled Minor sightings, London ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Liverpool (United Kingdom, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Tawny Marbled Minor is recorded against all the insects logged in London (55 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.
