Cucullia verbasci
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The mullein moth (Cucullia verbasci) is a noctuid moth with a Palearctic distribution. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. The forewing is broad (for the genus) and brownish ochreous; the costal streak and those preceding and following the lower part of outer line are a deep red brown; the lunules following the line are white and conspicuous; the space below median paler, becoming almost whitish above the outer dark brown streak; the stigmata are marked by dark brown spots; a row of deep brown streaks from apex to vein 6, and another, more faint, from below the apex to the end of cell. The hindwing of the male is whitish, with dark veins and cellspot, becoming diffusely fuscous along the termen; in the female it is darker throughout.
The larva is creamy with black and yellow spots. Cucullia verbasci is difficult to certainly distinguish from these congeners. Shargacucullia scrophulariae (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775) Shargacucullia lychnitis (Rambur, 1833)
It is found in western, southern and central Europe and North Africa. However, there are only individual finds... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Fertő-Hanság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 3 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 4 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birmingham | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Liverpool | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 4 | Manchester | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 5 | Lyon | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 6 | Prague | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 7 | Rome | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 8 | Munich | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 9 | Copenhagen | 🇩🇰 Denmark | |
| 10 | Vienna | 🇦🇹 Austria |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Mullein Moth sighting in Manchester on a given day, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 223rd most-seen of the 458 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.
May to July
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Mullein Moth in Manchester on a given day, against under 5% in August to April, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Mullein Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 10 cities where we can rate Mullein Moth sightings, Manchester ranks 4th at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Birmingham (United Kingdom, about 10%), Liverpool (United Kingdom, about 10%) and London (United Kingdom, about 10%).
Same family: Noctuidae
The closest relatives of the Mullein Moth that you can see in Manchester (family Noctuidae, Cutworm Moths and Allies) are Large Yellow Underwing (about 30%), Angle Shades (about 20%) and Silver Υ (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Mullein Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Manchester (14 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.
