Common Heath

Common Heath

Ematurga atomaria

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
at Hohe Tauern National Park

In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%

41 Verified sightings at Hohe Tauern National Park From 2019 to 2026
517 In all 17 parks
June Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Common Heath

Ematurga atomaria, the common heath, is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species can be found in the Palearctic realm from the Iberian Peninsula in the west, central and eastern Europe and east to Siberia and Sakhalin. In the south, its range includes the northern Mediterranean and the Turkish part of the Black Sea region.

The wingspan is 24–34 millimetres (0.9–1.3 in). The colour is variable ranging from yellow brown to dark brown. The appearance is mottled with bands and spots. The brown cross bands on both forewings and hindwings vary in width and there may be no cross bands at all only small dark brownish spots. Males have comb-like antennae. Females are usually brown with a dusting of white but can be almost white with a series of brown crosslines.

The egg is elongated and green to yellow-red. The caterpillar is slim, smooth and up to 30 millimeters long. The colour is very variable as with the moth; it ranges from brown to yellowish, grey to violet-grey. The dorsal line is dark, and the side stripes are light and wavy. The pupa is yellow-brown and spotted. The cremaster is long and forked at the end.

Richard South had this to say "Four specimens of this... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Hohe Tauern National Park 🇦🇹 Austria
~30%
2 Vanoise National Park 🇫🇷 France
~20%
3 Biebrza National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
~20%
4 Białowieża National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
~20%
5 Triglav National Park 🇸🇮 Slovenia
~20%
6 Mercantour National Park 🇫🇷 France
~20%
7 Cairngorms National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~20%
8 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~20%
9 Aigüestortes National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~20%
10 Picos de Europa National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~20%
11 Tatra National Park 🇸🇰 Slovakia
~20%
12 Fertő-Hanság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~10%
13 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%
14 Snowdonia National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
15 Ecrins National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%
16 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%
17 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Turin 🇮🇹 Italy
~20%
2 Prague 🇨🇿 Czechia
~10%
3 Milan 🇮🇹 Italy
~10%
4 Vienna 🇦🇹 Austria
~10%
5 Novosibirsk 🇷🇺 Russia
~10%
6 Nizhny Novgorod 🇷🇺 Russia
~10%
7 Warsaw 🇵🇱 Poland
~10%
8 Budapest 🇭🇺 Hungary
~10%
9 Helsinki 🇫🇮 Finland
~10%
10 Istanbul 🇹🇷 Turkey
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Common Heath in Hohe Tauern National Park?

Possible

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Common Heath sighting in Hohe Tauern National Park on a given day, based on 41 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 9th most-seen of the 165 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Common Heath in Hohe Tauern National Park?

June

In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Common Heath in Hohe Tauern National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April and August–September, the lowest months. December has too few records to rate.

What time of day is best to see a Common Heath?

Between 11 am and 2 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Heath sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Hohe Tauern National Park the best place to see a Common Heath?

Yes

Of the 17 parks where we can rate Common Heath sightings, Hohe Tauern National Park has the highest daily chance: about 30%. Next come Vanoise National Park (France, about 20%) and Biebrza National Park (Poland, about 20%).

Which relatives of the Common Heath live in Hohe Tauern National Park?

Same family: Geometridae

The closest relatives of the Common Heath that you can see in Hohe Tauern National Park (family Geometridae, Geometer Moths) are Psodos quadrifaria (about 20%), Clouded Border (about 20%) and Silver-Ground Carpet (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Common Heath sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Common Heath is recorded against all the insects logged in Hohe Tauern National Park (41 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.

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