Plagodis dolabraria
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~60%
Plagodis dolabraria, the scorched wing, is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1767. It is found throughout Europe and through the Palearctic, east to Transcaucasia, south east Siberia and Japan.
The wingspan is 28–32 mm. The length of the forewings is 16–19 mm. Forewing with innumerable fine, slightly oblique, transverse striae, no distinct lines; the postmedian on both wings indicated by a thick dark fuscous shade posteriorly, distally to which (especially on hindwing) there is an ill-defined purplish blotch reaching to the hinder angle. Ab. atrox Zerny is a melanotic form, forewing mostly dark chestnut brown, towards the base and hinder angle black.
The moth flies in one generation from the beginning of May to mid-July [1]. The larva is twig like, brownish and variegated. The thorax is darker dorsally, there is a hump on the 5th abdominal and a transverse mark near the tail is also dark.
The larva feeds on various deciduous trees such as oak, birch and sallow. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 3 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 4 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vienna | 🇦🇹 Austria |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Scorched Wing sighting in Snowdonia National Park on a given day, based on 19 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 106th most-seen of the 387 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Scorched Wing in Snowdonia National Park on a given day, against under 5% in September to March, the lowest months.
Between 10 pm and 1 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Scorched Wing 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.
Yes
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Scorched Wing sightings, Snowdonia National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Cévennes National Park (France, about 10%) and Bavarian Forest National Park (Germany, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Scorched Wing is recorded against all the insects logged in Snowdonia National Park (19 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.
