Scotopteryx luridata
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Scotopteryx luridata, the July belle, is a species of moth in the family Geometridae. It is found in most of Europe, except Finland and the Baltic region. Further East it is found in Turkey, Georgia and Transcaucasia. The wingspan is 32–38 mm. The ground colour of the forewing is grey, with a middle darker band between two cross lines. The discal spot is in this band. Apical streak present. Very similar to Scotopteryx mucronata but the discal spot on the forewings lies closer to the antemedian line (inner line) than in mucronata and the hindwings are slightly darker and without markings.. See Townsend et al.
The caterpillars are brightly coloured and have a brownish stripe pattern. Adults are on wing from June to August. The larvae feed on Genista (including Genista anglica) and Ulex species. Larvae can be found from August to April. The species overwinters in the larval stage. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 2 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a July Belle sighting in Pyrénées National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 1144th most-seen of the 1277 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a July Belle in Pyrénées National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July to May, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most July Belle sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate July Belle sightings, Pyrénées National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Cévennes National Park (France, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the July Belle is recorded against all the insects logged in Pyrénées 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.
