Polyphaenis sericata
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Polyphaenis sericata, the Guernsey underwing, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Eugenius Johann Christoph Esper in 1787. It is found in Europe and Asia. The wingspan is 38–44 millimetres (1.5–1.7 in).
The larvae feed on various herbaceous plants, including privet, honeysuckle and dogwood. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 2 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 3 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Guernsey Underwing sighting in Madrid on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 274th most-seen of the 457 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 Guernsey Underwing in Madrid on a given day, against under 5% in July to April, the lowest months.
Between 11 pm and 2 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Guernsey Underwing sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
5th of 6
Of the 6 cities where we can rate Guernsey Underwing sightings, Madrid ranks 5th at under 5%. The best odds are in Budapest (Hungary, about 10%), Porto (Portugal, about 10%) and Paris (France, under 5%).
Same family: Noctuidae
The closest relatives of the Guernsey Underwing that you can see in Madrid (family Noctuidae, Cutworm Moths and Allies) are Large Yellow Underwing (about 10%), Silver Υ (about 10%) and Turnip Moth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Guernsey Underwing is recorded against all the insects logged in Madrid (10 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.
