Pyrausta sanguinalis
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Pyrausta sanguinalis, the scarce crimson and gold, is a moth of the family Crambidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1767 12th edition of Systema Naturae. The wingspan is 14–18 mm. The forewings are brownish ochreous, basal and dorsal areas deep yellow, disc yellow mixed; markings purple-crimson; a streak along costa to 3/4; a fascia before middle; an oblong discal spot, connected above with costal streak, and sometimes beneath with preceding fascia; a subterminal fascia. Hindwings in male light grey, darker terminally, in female grey; termen crimson in middle. The larva is greenish-grey, reddish tinged; subdorsal and spiracular lines whitish; head brown.
The moth flies from June to August depending on the location. The larvae feed on common sage, rosemary and thyme. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sierra Nevada National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 2 | Mercantour National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 3 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 4 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 5 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Scarce Crimson And Gold sighting in Madrid on a given day, based on 62 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 93rd most-seen of the 457 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June and July
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Scarce Crimson And Gold in Madrid on a given day, against under 5% in May and August–March, the lowest months. Those are among Madrid's driest months, with about 15 mm of rain a month against 65 mm in October.
Between 9 pm and midnight
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Scarce Crimson And Gold sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
Among the best
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Scarce Crimson And Gold sightings, Madrid ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Valencia (Spain, about 10%).
Same family: Crambidae
The closest relatives of the Scarce Crimson And Gold that you can see in Madrid (family Crambidae, Crambid Snout Moths) are Rush Veneer (about 20%), Wandering Sunset (about 10%) and Jasmine Moth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Scarce Crimson And Gold is recorded against all the insects logged in Madrid (62 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.
