Stauropus fagi
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The lobster moth (Stauropus fagi), also known as lobster prominent, is a moth from the family Notodontidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 10th edition of Systema Naturae. The English common name refers to the crustacean-like appearance of the caterpillar.
The moth has a wingspan ranging from 40 to 70 millimetres. The forewings are grey to grey-brown or green-brown, while the distal part has a slightly lighter colour. There are two bright, jagged crossbands, which are often only dimly visible on the front wings. Between these, the midfield of the wing is usually slightly darker. The hindwings are similar in colour but unmarked.
Wings grey-brown; forewing with light grey base and black basal dot, a pale dentate band at the border of the light basal area and another in the centre, before the margin a row of dark submarginal dots which are edged with white proximally; hind margin usually red-brown. Hindwing with some light spots in the centre of the costal margin. Antennae red-brown, head and thorax grey-brown to mouse-grey, abdomen lighter. Underside of forewing light grey-brown, of hindwing and abdomen light greyish... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 2 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 3 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 4 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Lobster Moth sighting in Snowdonia National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 264th 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.
June
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Lobster Moth in Snowdonia National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July to March, the lowest months.
Between 11 pm and 2 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Lobster Moth 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.
Among the best
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Lobster Moth sightings, Snowdonia National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Pyrénées National Park (France, about 10%) and Cévennes National Park (France, about 10%).
Same family: Notodontidae
The closest relatives of the Lobster Moth that you can see in Snowdonia National Park (family Notodontidae, Prominent Moths) are Buff-Tip (about 30%), Lesser Swallow Prominent (about 20%) and Great Prominent (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Lobster Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Snowdonia National Park (7 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.
