Lesser Pearl

Lesser Pearl

Sitochroa verticalis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Lyon

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%

7 Verified sightings at Lyon
39 In all 2 parks From 2019 to 2026
August Best month
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted

About the Lesser Pearl

Sitochroa verticalis, common name lesser pearl, is a species of moth of the family Crambidae. This species can be found in most of Europe, including British Islands. The distribution extends from west Portugal, across Central and Eastern Europe, Siberia to the Russian Far East and Japan. In the north the area extends to southern Sweden, in the south to Italy. These moths prefer open landscape with dry or slightly humid grassy areas.

Sitochroa verticalis can reach a wingspan of about 30–34 mm. These moths have yellowish or light ocher forewings with three thin brown cross lines, while the underside of the forewings are strongly-marked with dark brown lines. The hind wings are whitish yellow and have two darker transverse lines. The caterpillars are green, with a light brown head. They can reach a body length of about 29 mm (1.1 in). This species is rather similar to Ostrinia nubilalis.

These moths fly from May to August, with one to two generations, depending on the location. The second generation may occur in August and September. They are nocturnal and come to artificial light sources. Usually they hinbernate in a hibernaculum... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%
2 Sierra de Guadarrama National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kharkiv 🇺🇦 Ukraine
~10%
2 Novosibirsk 🇷🇺 Russia
~10%
3 Helsinki 🇫🇮 Finland
~10%
4 Milan 🇮🇹 Italy
~10%
5 Bucharest 🇷🇴 Romania
~10%
6 Budapest 🇭🇺 Hungary
~10%
7 Nizhny Novgorod 🇷🇺 Russia
~10%
8 Lyon 🇫🇷 France
<5%
9 Vienna 🇦🇹 Austria
<5%
10 Kyiv 🇺🇦 Ukraine
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Lesser Pearl in Lyon?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Pearl sighting in Lyon on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 289th most-seen of the 411 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.

When is the best time to see a Lesser Pearl in Lyon?

May to August

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Pearl in Lyon on a given day, against under 5% in September to April, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Lesser Pearl?

Between midnight and 3 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Lesser Pearl sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.

Is Lyon the best place to see a Lesser Pearl?

8th of 16

Of the 16 cities where we can rate Lesser Pearl sightings, Lyon ranks 8th at under 5%. The best odds are in Kharkiv (Ukraine, about 10%), Novosibirsk (Russia, about 10%) and Helsinki (Finland, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Lesser Pearl live in Lyon?

Same family: Crambidae

The closest relatives of the Lesser Pearl that you can see in Lyon (family Crambidae, Crambid Snout Moths) are Straw-Barred Pearl (about 10%), Box Tree Moth (about 10%) and Rush Veneer (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Lesser Pearl sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Lesser Pearl is recorded against all the insects logged in Lyon (7 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.

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