Cabera exanthemata
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
The common wave (Cabera exanthemata) is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Giovanni Antonio Scopoli in his 1763 Entomologia Carniolica. It is found throughout the Palearctic region and the Near East.
The wings of this species are white, heavily spotted with tiny yellowish dots, which give it a buffish appearance. The wings are marked with narrow brown fascia, three on the forewing, two on the hindwing. ab. arenosaria Haw. (= nogentina Th.-Mieg) is darker, more strongly dusted, the lines sometimes scarcely or not at all differentiated. ab. approximaria Haw. has the first two lines closely approximated, almost coalescent.ab.
pellagraria Guen. is said to be larger, apex of forewing more produced, colour whiter, less irrorated, lines perhaps less waved, both wings with a black discal dot. Lyons. — ab. unicolorata Teich, almost unicolorous white, is said to be a prevalent form in Livonia. — The wingspan is 30–35 mm. The egg is oval, green, with fine reticulation. The larva is very variable, green or brown, usually with dark dorsal markings and sometimes with white dots.
One or two broods are produced each year and adults can be seen at any time between May and August.[1] This species flies at night and is attracted to light. The larva, in the British Isles green with yellow rings and black and purple spots, feeds on alder, aspen, beech, birch and willow. The species overwinters as a pupa. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 2 | Vanoise National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 3 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 4 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 5 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Porto | 🇵🇹 Portugal | |
| 2 | Berlin | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 3 | Liverpool | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 4 | Nizhny Novgorod | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 5 | Hamburg | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 6 | Manchester | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 7 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 8 | Helsinki | 🇫🇮 Finland | |
| 9 | Paris | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 10 | Moscow | 🇷🇺 Russia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Wave Moth sighting in Vanoise National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 252nd most-seen of the 308 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Wave Moth in Vanoise National Park on a given day, against under 5% in August to May, the lowest months.
Between 11 pm and 2 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Northern Wave Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
Among the best
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Northern Wave Moth sightings, Vanoise National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Wadden Sea National Park (Germany, about 10%).
Same family: Geometridae
The closest relatives of the Northern Wave Moth that you can see in Vanoise National Park (family Geometridae, Geometer Moths) are Common Heath (about 20%), Psodos quadrifaria (about 20%) and Latticed Heath (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Northern Wave Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Vanoise National Park (5 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.
