Agrotis segetum
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Agrotis segetum, sometimes known as the turnip moth, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Michael Denis and Ignaz Schiffermüller in 1775. It is a common European species and it is found in Africa and across Eurasia except for the northernmost parts.
It is a cutworm in the genus Agrotis, which possibly is the genus that includes the largest number of species of cutworms. It is usually known as the common cutworm in English. It is sometimes called the turnip moth in the United Kingdom.
This is a very variable species with the fore-wings ranging from pale buff through to almost black. The paler forms have three dark-bordered stigmata on each fore-wing. Antennae of male bipectinated (comb like on both sides) with moderate length branches. The main feature distinguishing it from other Agrotis species is the shade of the hind-wings, pure white in the males and pearly grey in the females. The wingspan is 32–42 mm.
Edward Meyrick, an English schoolteacher who is especially notable for his study of the microlepidoptera, had this to say about the species: Wingspan 33–41 mm. Antennae in male bipectinated. Fore-wings brownish... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sierra Nevada National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 2 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 3 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 4 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Turnip Moth sighting in Pretoria on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 225th most-seen of the 274 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.
April, July, September and November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Turnip Moth in Pretoria on a given day, against under 5% in May–June, August, October and December–March, the lowest months.
Between 10 pm and 1 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Turnip Moth 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.
14th of 28
Of the 28 cities where we can rate Turnip Moth sightings, Pretoria ranks 14th at under 5%. The best odds are in Budapest (Hungary, about 10%), Porto (Portugal, about 10%) and London (United Kingdom, about 10%).
Same family: Noctuidae
The closest relatives of the Turnip Moth that you can see in Pretoria (family Noctuidae, Cutworm Moths and Allies) are Lily Borer (about 10%), Slender Burnished Brass (about 10%) and Cotton Bollworm Moth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Turnip Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Pretoria (5 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.
