Barred Umber

Barred Umber

Plagodis pulveraria

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Snowdonia National Park

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%

8 Verified sightings at Snowdonia National Park From 2019 to 2026
42 In all 4 parks
April Best month
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted

About the Barred Umber

Plagodis pulveraria, the barred umber, is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. It is found throughout much of the Palearctic realm from Ireland to Japan, and in the Nearctic realm (Canada).

The wingspan is 28–33 mm. The length of the forewings is 17–19 mm. "Variable, but always showing more or less of a reddish tone, with no markings except the rather straight antemedian and posteriorly strongly incurved postmedian lines of the forewing. The median area in the name-typical form is darkened. — ab. passetii Th.-Mieg is violaceous grey instead of reddish brown, the median band sharply expressed. - ab. marginepurpuraria Bastelb. is deeper red, the median area of forewing and basal half of hindwing more orange-, the rest more purple-tinged, lines thick, antemedian rather curved, postmedian less broad anteriorly than in the type. Rather small and round-winged. Rheingau - ab. unicolor Hirschke has both wings uniform brown, dark-dusted, without lines or band. - gadmensis Ratzer is a rather small, brighter (yellower) brown form from Switzerland (Gadmenthal), with the median area almost or quite concolorous, the lines remaining.- violacearia Graeser (15 h), from Amurland, is a very small form, coloured nearly like marginepurpuraria, which must perhaps sink to it, but the thick lines are described as dark violet and it is not indicated that their form differs from the normal; compare, however, the following form. -japonica Btlr. is a small race, or possibly distinct species, from Japan and Korea, bright deep red-brown, the median area as broad posteriorly as anteriorly, not differentiated in colour, the lines which bound it deeper red brown, the postmedian only projecting a little in the middle. Line on hindwing continued nearly to the costal margin, straighter than in marginepurpuraria, which also shows this peculiarity."

The moth flies in two generations from mid-March to August.[1] The larva feeds on various deciduous trees such as oak, birch and sallow. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Snowdonia National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
2 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
3 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
<5%
4 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Helsinki 🇫🇮 Finland
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Barred Umber in Snowdonia National Park?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Barred Umber sighting in Snowdonia National Park on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 246th most-seen of the 387 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Barred Umber in Snowdonia National Park?

April

In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Barred Umber in Snowdonia National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July to March, the lowest months. That is one of Snowdonia National Park's driest months, with about 95 mm of rain against 240 mm in December.

What time of day is best to see a Barred Umber?

Between 6 and 9 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Barred Umber sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.

Is Snowdonia National Park the best place to see a Barred Umber?

Yes

Of the 4 parks where we can rate Barred Umber sightings, Snowdonia National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Great Bear Rainforest (Canada, about 10%) and Pyrénées National Park (France, under 5%).

Where does the Barred Umber sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Barred Umber is recorded against all the insects logged in Snowdonia National Park (8 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.

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