Idaea ochrata
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Idaea ochrata, the bright wave, is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found in Europe. The species has a wingspan of 21–24 mm. The adults fly at night from late June to early August in one generation [1]. The species overwinters as a larva.
The larvae feed on the flowers of hawk's beard (Crepis sp.), dandelion (Taraxacum) and coltsfoot (Tussaligo) in captivity. In the wild the larvae feed on Smooth Tare and the flowers of Hare's-foot Clover. ^The flight season refers to the British Isles. This may vary in other parts of the range. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sierra Nevada National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 2 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 3 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 4 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Bright Wave sighting in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park on a given day, based on 21 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.
June
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Bright Wave in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park on a given day, against under 5% in August to May, the lowest months.
Between 11 pm and 2 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Bright Wave 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 Bright Wave sightings, Sierra de Guadarrama National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Sierra Nevada National Park (Spain, about 10%) and Cévennes National Park (France, about 10%).
Same genus: Idaea
The closest relatives of the Bright Wave that you can see in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park (genus Idaea) are Portland Ribbon Wave (about 10%), Idaea ostrinaria (about 10%) and Least Carpet (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Bright Wave is recorded against all the insects logged in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park (21 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.
