Selenia lunularia
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Selenia lunularia, the lunar thorn, is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found in Europe except Iberia and Greece; also in Asia Minor, Armenia, SiberiaIssyk-Kul. The wingspan is 38–44 mm. The length of the forewings is 16–22 mm. Similar to Selenia dentaria but "Antemedian lines of forewing strongly curved, postmedian
almost straight, oblique outwards, median area very much wider posteriorly than anteriorly, wholly or in part dark-shaded.- ab. sublunaria Steph. is much darker and more purple, almost exactly the colour of some tetralunaria
- delunaria Hhn. the 2nd generation, is on an average rather smaller and with less irroration, but differs less from the 1st brood than in the other [related] species. The ground colour of the caterpillar is usually some shade of brown, ranging from greyish or greenish to reddish, variegated with darker or paler clouds, and with traces of pale lines on the back.Humps and protrusions on the fifth, eighth and ninth segments gives them the appearance of a small branch with buds and represents an excellent camouflage.
The moth flies in two generation from mid-May to mid-August [1]. The caterpillars feed on various deciduous trees, such as birch and oak. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 3 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 4 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Lunar Thorn sighting in Pyrénées National Park on a given day, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 547th 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 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March to June
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Lunar Thorn in Pyrénées National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July to February, the lowest months.
Between 10 pm and 1 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Lunar Thorn sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
Among the best
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Lunar Thorn sightings, Pyrénées National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Snowdonia National Park (United Kingdom, about 10%) and Cévennes National Park (France, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Lunar Thorn is recorded against all the insects logged in Pyrénées National Park (15 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.
