Catocala sponsa
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Catocala sponsa, the dark crimson underwing, is a species of moth of the family Erebidae. It is found in Europe, North Africa and from Anatolia up to the Caucasus. M. sponsa L. Somewhat smaller and paler than dilecta; generally with a pale fulvous tint below middle in the space between outer and submarginal lines; the lunule between veins 3 and 4 nearly always paler; the pale outline of the reniform stigma, the whitish spot preceding it, and the white spot beneath it often conspicuous; but both of these spots may be of the ground colour or yellowish, as well as white; hindwing with the inner margin not darkened; the red ground colour not so deep; — the form rejecta Fisch.-Wald. besides being smaller in point of size, has the hindwing clouded with fuscous in basal area; the median band thickened, and the red band following it much narrower than usual; the terminal border brownish black, and the red ground dull pink; to judge from the appearance only, this might well be a distinct species;- examples in which the median space between inner and outer lines is prominently paler grey than the other areas are separated by Spuler as ab. fasciata;... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 2 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Dark Crimson Underwing sighting in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 354th most-seen of the 597 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.
July to September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Dark Crimson Underwing in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park on a given day, against under 5% in October to June, the lowest months. Those are among Sierra de Guadarrama National Park's driest months, with about 30 mm of rain a month against 110 mm in November.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Dark Crimson Underwing sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Dark Crimson Underwing sightings, Sierra de Guadarrama National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Bavarian Forest National Park (Germany, under 5%).
Same genus: Catocala
The closest relatives of the Dark Crimson Underwing that you can see in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park (genus Catocala, Underwing Moths) are Oak Yellow Underwing (about 10%) and French Red Underwing (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Dark Crimson Underwing is recorded against all the insects logged in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park (13 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.
