Giant Peacock Moth

Giant Peacock Moth

Saturnia pyri

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Vienna

In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%

139 Verified sightings at Vienna
188 In all 7 parks From 2019 to 2026
May Best month
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted

About the Giant Peacock Moth

Saturnia pyri, the giant peacock moth, great peacock moth, giant emperor moth or Viennese emperor, is a Saturniid moth which is native to Europe. The species was first described by Michael Denis and Ignaz Schiffermüller in 1775. It is the largest European moth, with a wingspan reaching 15–20 cm (6–8 in).

The giant peacock moth has a range that includes the Iberian Peninsula, southern France, northern Hungary, central and southern Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro, southern and eastern Bulgaria, southern Greece southern Turkey, south Kyrgyzstan, western Syria, Lebanon, Israel, southern Romania, Russia, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, North Macedonia and Italy and extends into Siberia and North Africa. It is absent from the UK, though a small handful of individuals have been recorded, likely of captive origin. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
~20%
2 Triglav National Park 🇸🇮 Slovenia
~10%
3 Monfragüe National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~10%
4 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%
5 Camargue 🇫🇷 France
~10%
6 Fertő-Hanság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~10%
7 Sierra de Guadarrama National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Vienna 🇦🇹 Austria
~10%
2 Istanbul 🇹🇷 Turkey
~10%
3 Paris 🇫🇷 France
~10%
4 Milan 🇮🇹 Italy
<5%
5 Lyon 🇫🇷 France
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Giant Peacock Moth in Vienna?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Giant Peacock Moth sighting in Vienna on a given day, based on 139 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 109th most-seen of the 1406 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Giant Peacock Moth in Vienna?

May

In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Giant Peacock Moth in Vienna on a given day, against under 5% in September to January, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Giant Peacock Moth?

Between 10 pm and 1 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Giant Peacock Moth 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.

Is Vienna the best place to see a Giant Peacock Moth?

Yes

Of the 5 cities where we can rate Giant Peacock Moth sightings, Vienna has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Istanbul (Turkey, about 10%) and Paris (France, about 10%).

Where does the Giant Peacock Moth sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Giant Peacock Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Vienna (139 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.

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