Pyrausta sanguinalis
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
Pyrausta sanguinalis, the scarce crimson and gold, is a moth of the family Crambidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1767 12th edition of Systema Naturae. The wingspan is 14–18 mm. The forewings are brownish ochreous, basal and dorsal areas deep yellow, disc yellow mixed; markings purple-crimson; a streak along costa to 3/4; a fascia before middle; an oblong discal spot, connected above with costal streak, and sometimes beneath with preceding fascia; a subterminal fascia. Hindwings in male light grey, darker terminally, in female grey; termen crimson in middle. The larva is greenish-grey, reddish tinged; subdorsal and spiracular lines whitish; head brown.
The moth flies from June to August depending on the location. The larvae feed on common sage, rosemary and thyme. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sierra Nevada National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 2 | Mercantour National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 3 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 4 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 5 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Scarce Crimson And Gold sighting in Mercantour National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 348th most-seen of the 412 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June to August
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Scarce Crimson And Gold in Mercantour National Park on a given day, against under 5% in September to May, the lowest months.
Between 9 pm and midnight
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Scarce Crimson And Gold 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 5 parks where we can rate Scarce Crimson And Gold sightings, Mercantour National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Sierra Nevada National Park (Spain, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Scarce Crimson And Gold is recorded against all the insects logged in Mercantour National Park (5 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.
