Idaea ochrata
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
Idaea ochrata, the bright wave, is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found in Europe. The species has a wingspan of 21–24 mm. The adults fly at night from late June to early August in one generation [1]. The species overwinters as a larva.
The larvae feed on the flowers of hawk's beard (Crepis sp.), dandelion (Taraxacum) and coltsfoot (Tussaligo) in captivity. In the wild the larvae feed on Smooth Tare and the flowers of Hare's-foot Clover. ^The flight season refers to the British Isles. This may vary in other parts of the range. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sierra Nevada National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 2 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 3 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 4 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Bright Wave sighting in Prague on a given day, based on 28 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 205th most-seen of the 724 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.
June and July
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Bright Wave in Prague on a given day, against under 5% in August to May, the lowest months. Those are among Prague's wettest months, with about 80 mm of rain a month against 30 mm in February.
Between 11 pm and 2 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Bright Wave sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
Among the best
Of the 8 cities where we can rate Bright Wave sightings, Prague ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Kharkiv (Ukraine, about 10%).
Same genus: Idaea
The closest relatives of the Bright Wave that you can see in Prague (genus Idaea) are Small Dusty Wave (about 10%), Riband Wave (about 10%) and Least Carpet (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Bright Wave is recorded against all the insects logged in Prague (28 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.
