Satyrus actaea
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Satyrus actaea, the black satyr, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in South-Western Europe, Asia Minor, Syria, Iran and Baluchistan (SW Pakistan). The length of the forewings is 24 to 28 mm. Upperside of male black-brown, with a dark sheen in live specimens: the 2 ocelli of the forewing mostly represented only by the small bluish white pupils. In old specimens, with the ground-colour faded, the pupil is bordered with deep black. Between the ocelli of the forewing sometimes 2 minute white dots. The number of the ocelli may be enlarged or diminished as in all Satyrus, e. g. merula Schultz, ornata Schultz. In the female the distal band is indicated by a paler, sometimes yellowish brown tint, and the ocelli are
considerably larger than in the male. Underside different in the various forms, with a distinctly defined distal ban, a dark dentate line in the cell and across the hindwing, and a somewhat irregular submarginal line. The butterfly is on wing in July and August in one generation. The habitat is rocky places at 600 to 1,800 m. The larvae feed on various grasses (Brachypodium and Bromus sp. and sedges). Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aigüestortes National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 2 | Sierra Nevada National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 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 Black Satyr sighting in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park on a given day, based on 23 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 157th most-seen of the 597 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.
August
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Black Satyr in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park on a given day, against under 5% in October to June, the lowest months. That is one of Sierra de Guadarrama National Park's driest months, with about 20 mm of rain against 110 mm in November.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black Satyr sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 5
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Black Satyr sightings, Sierra de Guadarrama National Park ranks 4th at about 10%. The best odds are in Aigüestortes National Park (Spain, about 20%), Sierra Nevada National Park (Spain, about 20%) and Cévennes National Park (France, about 10%).
Same family: Nymphalidae
The closest relatives of the Black Satyr that you can see in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park (family Nymphalidae, Brush-footed Butterflies) are Queen Of Spain Fritillary (about 40%), Speckled Wood (about 30%) and Iberian Marbled White (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black Satyr is recorded against all the insects logged in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park (23 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.
