Scotopteryx bipunctaria
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Scotopteryx bipunctaria, also known as the chalk carpet, is a moth in the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Michael Denis and Ignaz Schiffermüller in 1775. It is found from Morocco and Spain through western and central Europe and Great Britain to the Ural. In the north it is found up to the Baltic region and in the south its range extends over Italy and the Balkan Peninsula up to the Black Sea and Caspian Sea.
The wingspan is 26–32 mm. Adults are on wing from June to August in one generation per year. The larvae feed on various low-growing plants, including Vicia, Lotus, Hippocrepis and Teucrium species. Larvae can be found from September onwards. They overwinter and pupate in May or June of the following year. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vanoise National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 2 | Mercantour National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 3 | Ecrins National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 4 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Chalk Carpet sighting in Ecrins National Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 213th most-seen of the 251 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Chalk Carpet in Ecrins National Park on a given day, against under 5% in October to June, the lowest months.
Between 10 pm and 1 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Chalk Carpet sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
Among the best
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Chalk Carpet sightings, Ecrins National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Vanoise National Park (France, about 10%) and Mercantour National Park (France, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Chalk Carpet is recorded against all the insects logged in Ecrins National Park (6 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
