Aporophyla nigra
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
Aporophyla nigra, the black rustic, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Adrian Hardy Haworth in 1809. It is found from North Africa, through southern and central Europe to Anatolia, in the north it is found up to Scotland and southern Norway. It is also found in the Caucasus, Israel and Lebanon.
The wingspan is 40–48 mm. Forewing deep black, the outer area beyond outer line often appearing brown; the inner and outer lines and the edges of stigmata deeper black; outer edge of reniform marked with yellowish spots; subterminal line rarely visible; hindwing in male white, sometimes with veins and termen clouded with fuscous, in female smoky grey brown, more whitish towards base; — ab. seileri Fuchs includes the intenser black forms without any trace of brown.
Adults are on wing in September and October and sometimes also in December and January. Larva yellow green, with three well-marked red dorsal lines and a similar coloured lateral line; spiracles white; or green with the dorsal lines confluent, brown red, divided finely by white; the brown-red subdorsal and spiracular lines confluent into a broad band, with a yellow... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | Porto | 🇵🇹 Portugal | |
| 4 | Madrid | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 5 | Birmingham | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Black Rustic sighting in Porto on a given day, based on 32 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 223rd most-seen of the 498 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
November
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Black Rustic in Porto on a given day, against under 5% in January to September, the lowest months. That is one of Porto's wettest months, with about 140 mm of rain against 15 mm in July.
Between 9 pm and midnight
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black Rustic sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Among the best
Of the 5 cities where we can rate Black Rustic sightings, Porto ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Liverpool (United Kingdom, about 10%) and London (United Kingdom, about 10%).
Same family: Noctuidae
The closest relatives of the Black Rustic that you can see in Porto (family Noctuidae, Cutworm Moths and Allies) are Variegated Cutworm Moth (about 20%), Armyworm Moth (about 20%) and Scarce Merveille Du Jour (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black Rustic is recorded against all the insects logged in Porto (32 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.
