Melitaea phoebe
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Melitaea phoebe, also known as the knapweed fritillary, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in the Palearctic realm, including most of Europe and North Africa, excluding the United Kingdom and Scandinavia. Previously, it also included Melitaea telona, which was recently revalidated as a distinct cryptic species.
M. phoebe butterflies have a wingspan of 34 to 50 mm. Their forewings are more pointed than the eastern knapweed fritillary, but are equally variable in color and distinctive markings. Their black markings are usually joined, but may instead cover a majority of the wing or very little of it.
The species features a reddish-yellow submarginal lunate (crescent-shaped) spot between the two median veins that reaches its vertex, considerably further into the disc than the other yellow lunate spots. This pattern is present on both the forewings and the hindwings. Additionally, the submarginal lunule between the first and second median veins projects further basal than the other lunules of the same row. Wheeler (1903) gives a short description.
M. phoebe pupae are a dull yellow-brown colour, with dark yellow and black markings. The larvae are grey... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercantour National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 2 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 3 | Vanoise National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 4 | Ecrins National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 5 | Picos de Europa National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 6 | Kiskunság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 7 | Aigüestortes National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 8 | Sierra Nevada National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 9 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 10 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 11 | Fertő-Hanság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Turin | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 2 | Milan | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 3 | Novosibirsk | 🇷🇺 Russia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Knapweed Fritillary sighting in Turin on a given day, based on 19 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 48th most-seen of the 197 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Knapweed Fritillary in Turin on a given day, against under 5% in June and August–March, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Knapweed Fritillary sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Knapweed Fritillary sightings, Turin has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Milan (Italy, under 5%) and Novosibirsk (Russia, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Knapweed Fritillary is recorded against all the insects logged in Turin (19 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.
