Noctua pronuba
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
The large yellow underwing (Noctua pronuba) is a moth, the type species for the family Noctuidae. It is an abundant species throughout the palearctic, one of the most common and most familiar moths of the region. In some years the species is highly migratory with large numbers appearing suddenly in marginal parts of the range.
Adults have a wingspan of around 45-55 mm. The patterns and colours on the forewings vary widely by specimen, though the yellow-orange underwings with a black stripe at the base remain consistent. As with other Noctua species (and numerous other insects), this contrast of bland-on-land and bright-in-flight is used to confuse potential predators. It will visit flowers such as Buddleia, ragwort, and red valerian.
This adult flies at night from mid to late summer and is attracted to light, sometimes in huge numbers. The larvae, of the cutworm type, can be found from late summer to early spring, feeding at night and hiding underground at day, they are green or brown with two rows of black dashes along the back.
Antennae in male ciliated. Forewings ochreous-brown to dark fuscous, sometimes... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 3 | Cairngorms National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 4 | Mercantour National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 5 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 6 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 7 | Białowieża National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 8 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 9 | Pacific Rim National Park Reserve | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 10 | Sierra Nevada National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 11 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 12 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 14 | Triglav National Park | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | |
| 15 | Camargue | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 16 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 17 | Olympic National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 18 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 19 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Manchester | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 4 | Birmingham | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 5 | Amsterdam | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 6 | Portland | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Ankara | 🇹🇷 Turkey | |
| 8 | Copenhagen | 🇩🇰 Denmark | |
| 9 | Leeds | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 10 | Sofia | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Large Yellow Underwing sighting in Point Pelee National Park on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 98th most-seen of the 196 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.
July
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Large Yellow Underwing in Point Pelee National Park on a given day, against under 5% in October to June, the lowest months.
Between 6 and 9 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Large Yellow Underwing sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
13th of 19
Of the 19 parks where we can rate Large Yellow Underwing sightings, Point Pelee National Park ranks 13th at about 10%. The best odds are in Snowdonia National Park (United Kingdom, about 30%), Wadden Sea National Park (Germany, about 20%) and Cairngorms National Park (United Kingdom, about 20%).
Same family: Noctuidae
The closest relatives of the Large Yellow Underwing that you can see in Point Pelee National Park (family Noctuidae, Cutworm Moths and Allies) are Eight-Spotted Forester Moth (about 20%), Smeared Dagger (about 20%) and Pearly Wood-Nymph (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Large Yellow Underwing is recorded against all the insects logged in Point Pelee 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.
