Spiris striata
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Spiris striata, the feathered footman, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. This very distinctive moth has a wingspan of 30–35 millimetres (1.2–1.4 in). Forewings are usually yellow or light yellow, with narrow longitudinal dark brown stripes in males, while in females the striations may be missing or restricted to the outer parts. Also hindwings are yellow, but they are darker and much wider than forewings and show a dark brown edge. The antennae of the males are pinnate. The caterpillars are hairy and black, with bright spots on the sides and a reddish-brown stripe on the back. The moths are diurnal and they fly May to August depending on the location.
The larvae feed on low vegetation and grasses, such as silver grass (Corynephorus spec.), fescue (Festuca spp.), heather (Calluna spp.), meadow sage (Salvia pratensis), hawkweed (Hieracium spp.) and mugwort (Artemisia spp.).
This species can be found in Europe, Anatolia, Kazakhstan, Siberia and Mongolia (excluding eastern regions). The feathered footman prefers sunny, sandy, open areas with grass... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 2 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 3 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Feathered Footman sighting in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 473rd 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 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Feathered Footman in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July to May, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Feathered Footman sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Feathered Footman sightings, Sierra de Guadarrama National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Cévennes National Park (France, about 10%).
Same family: Erebidae
The closest relatives of the Feathered Footman that you can see in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park (family Erebidae, Underwing, Tiger, Tussock, and Allied Moths) are Cinnabar Moth (about 20%), Jersey Tiger (about 10%) and Oak Yellow Underwing (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Feathered Footman is recorded against all the insects logged in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park (6 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.
