Graellsia isabellae
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Graellsia isabellae, the Spanish moon moth, is in the silkmoth family Saturniidae. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Graellsia. The species was first described by Mariano de la Paz Graells y de la Agüera in 1849 and the genus was erected by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1896.
This moth is native to Peninsular Spain and France. They live high up in the Pyrenees and other mountain ranges where the climate is cold. Early papers (1920s-1970s) suggested the French Graellsia isabellae colonies might stem from collectors’ releases, because the species had long been thought Iberian-only. Subsequent field work uncovered relict populations in the Alps and eastern Pyrenees, and a 2016 phylogeographic study showed their DNA matches ancient Iberian lineages. Today the consensus is that French populations are natural post-glacial relics, not results of human introductions. On the contrary, in Switzerland this species is not native but has been illegally introduced in the end of the 1980s.
They are relics originating from the Ice age or beyond as it is thought that their habitat is a refuge location. This means that for the past few millions of years, while the climate of Europe... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 2 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Spanish Moon Moth sighting in Pyrénées National Park on a given day, based on 96 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 311th most-seen of the 1277 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Spanish Moon Moth in Pyrénées National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July to March, the lowest months.
Between 10 pm and 1 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Spanish Moon 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.
Among the best
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Spanish Moon Moth sightings, Pyrénées National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park (Spain, about 10%).
Same family: Saturniidae
The closest relatives of the Spanish Moon Moth that you can see in Pyrénées National Park (family Saturniidae, Emperor and Giant Silk Moths) are Small Emperor Moth (about 10%), Giant Peacock Moth (about 10%) and Tau Emperor Moth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Spanish Moon Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Pyrénées National Park (96 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.
