March Moth

March Moth

Alsophila aescularia

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
26 In all 3 parks
March Best month
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted

About the March Moth

Alsophila aescularia, the March moth, is a species of moth of the family Geometridae. It is found throughout Europe and can be a pest of fruit trees. It is a well-known species distributed throughout the western Palearctic region except northern Europe, Corsica, Malta, Albania, and the Greek Islands. A few isolated populations live outside of Europe in northern and eastern Turkey, Caucasus, Transcaucasus, and Turkmenistan. Alsophila aescularia has also been reported to exist in the Hyrcanian relic temperate deciduous forests of Iran along the northern slopes of Alborz Mountain Range, called the Caspian Forest.

The wingspan is 25–35 mm. The colour of the forewings varies between pale brownish and grayish brown. There is a well-defined usually dark brown central band. The lines are sharply toothed and on the opposite side to the band they are whitish. A prominent black dot is present on the hind wings. Darkened specimens are rare. In these the lines are extinguished or the butterfly is completely black. The females have no wings and are eight to ten millimeters long. The abdomen is brownish grey, the abdominal hair tuft is about two millimeters wide... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Snowdonia National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
2 Sierra de Guadarrama National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
<5%
3 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Prague 🇨🇿 Czechia
~10%
2 Liverpool 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%
3 Rotterdam [The Hague] 🇳🇱 Netherlands
<5%
4 London 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%
5 Vienna 🇦🇹 Austria
<5%
6 Paris 🇫🇷 France
<5%
7 Moscow 🇷🇺 Russia
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a March Moth in Snowdonia National Park?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a March Moth 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 336th 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 March Moth in Snowdonia National Park?

March

In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a March Moth in Snowdonia National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May to February, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a March Moth?

Between 10 pm and 1 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most March Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 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 March Moth?

Yes

Of the 3 parks where we can rate March Moth sightings, Snowdonia National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Sierra de Guadarrama National Park (Spain, under 5%) and Pyrénées National Park (France, under 5%).

Which relatives of the March Moth live in Snowdonia National Park?

Same family: Geometridae

The closest relatives of the March Moth that you can see in Snowdonia National Park (family Geometridae, Geometer Moths) are Brimstone Moth (about 30%), Small Phoenix (about 20%) and Peppered Moth (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the March Moth sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the March Moth 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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