Polyphaenis sericata
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Polyphaenis sericata, the Guernsey underwing, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Eugenius Johann Christoph Esper in 1787. It is found in Europe and Asia. The wingspan is 38–44 millimetres (1.5–1.7 in).
The larvae feed on various herbaceous plants, including privet, honeysuckle and dogwood. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 2 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 3 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Guernsey Underwing sighting in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park on a given day, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 281st 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.
June and July
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Guernsey Underwing in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park on a given day, against under 5% in August to May, the lowest months. Those are among Sierra de Guadarrama National Park's driest months, with about 45 mm of rain a month against 110 mm in November.
Between 11 pm and 2 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Guernsey Underwing sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
Among the best
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Guernsey Underwing sightings, Sierra de Guadarrama National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Cévennes National Park (France, about 10%).
Same family: Noctuidae
The closest relatives of the Guernsey Underwing that you can see in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park (family Noctuidae, Cutworm Moths and Allies) are Silver Υ (about 10%), Turnip Moth (about 10%) and Common Quaker (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Guernsey Underwing is recorded against all the insects logged in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park (15 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.
