Setina irrorella
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
Setina irrorella, the dew moth, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. It is found in the Palearctic from Ireland and the Isle of Man, then through Europe and east to northern and central Asia to the Pacific Ocean (Siberia, Kamchatka, Chukotka northern Mongolia). It is missing in the high north and parts of the Mediterranean region. It is found also in the limestone Alps up to 2,000 meters above sea level.
The wingspan is 27–33 mm. The length of the forewings is 11–18 mm. Light yellow, 3 transverse lines of minute black dots traverse the forewing, hindwing mostly with only one dot in the apex. Beneath, the forewing is glossy sooty grey with the exception of a rather irregular yellow outer margin. Among typical specimens there are found various aberrations, e.g. ab. signata Borkh., in which the middle rows of spots are united by streaks; ab. fumosa Sandb., with strongly brownish ground colour, described from the north, but also found in Germany.
The species also varies strongly geographically: flavicans Bdv., from the Mediterranean and Anterior Asia, has... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercantour National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 2 | Vanoise National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 3 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 4 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Dew Moth sighting in Mercantour National Park on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 221st most-seen of the 412 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July and August
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Dew Moth in Mercantour National Park on a given day, against under 5% in September to June, the lowest months. Those are among Mercantour National Park's driest months, with about 55 mm of rain a month against 140 mm in October.
Between 11 pm and 2 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Dew Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
Yes
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Dew Moth sightings, Mercantour National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Vanoise National Park (France, about 10%) and Pyrénées National Park (France, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Dew Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Mercantour National Park (10 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.
