Dark Spectacle

Dark Spectacle

Abrostola triplasia

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

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%

6 Verified sightings at Snowdonia National Park From 2019 to 2026
24 In all 4 parks
June Best month
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted

About the Dark Spectacle

Abrostola triplasia (the dark spectacle) is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found across the entire Palearctic realm (Europe (all countries), North Africa, Russia, Siberia, and Japan). Subarctic territories with an average temperature of below 6 °C are an exception. In the warmest and driest regions of the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and the mountains in West and Central Asia, the species occurs only scattered or is entirely lacking.

The wingspan is 32–38 mm. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Snowdonia National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
2 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
3 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
<5%
4 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Liverpool 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
2 Nizhny Novgorod 🇷🇺 Russia
<5%
3 Porto 🇵🇹 Portugal
<5%
4 Kyiv 🇺🇦 Ukraine
<5%
5 Berlin 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%
6 London 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%
7 Paris 🇫🇷 France
<5%
8 Helsinki 🇫🇮 Finland
<5%
9 Prague 🇨🇿 Czechia
<5%
10 Moscow 🇷🇺 Russia
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Dark Spectacle in Snowdonia National Park?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Dark Spectacle sighting in Snowdonia National Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 294th 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 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Dark Spectacle in Snowdonia National Park?

June and July

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Dark Spectacle in Snowdonia National Park on a given day, against under 5% in August to May, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Dark Spectacle?

Between 10 pm and 1 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Dark Spectacle sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.

Is Snowdonia National Park the best place to see a Dark Spectacle?

Yes

Of the 4 parks where we can rate Dark Spectacle sightings, Snowdonia National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Bavarian Forest National Park (Germany, about 10%) and Pyrénées National Park (France, under 5%).

Where does the Dark Spectacle sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Dark Spectacle is recorded against all the insects logged in Snowdonia 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.

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