Erebia aethiops
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
The Scotch argus (Erebia aethiops) is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. In spite of its English name argus, it is not a close relation of the brown argus nor the northern brown argus. English colonies are found at Arnside Knott and Smardale Gill both in Cumbria. This species is found in most of northern Scotland, and in western areas in south Scotland. In Europe and Russia, these butterflies prefer the edge of pine forests and tall damp grassland in hills and mountains up to 2400 m.
Erebia aethiops has a wingspan of 42–46 mm. Antennae are clavate (club shaped). The background colour of the wings varies from dark brown to black brown, with reddish-yellow bands, black eyespots with white pupils and... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cairngorms National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Triglav National Park | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | |
| 3 | Vanoise National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 4 | Tatra National Park | 🇸🇰 Slovakia | |
| 5 | Ecrins National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 6 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Scotch Argus sighting in Vanoise National Park on a given day, based on 21 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 51st most-seen of the 308 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Scotch Argus in Vanoise National Park on a given day, against under 5% in September to June, the lowest months.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Scotch Argus sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 6
Of the 6 parks where we can rate Scotch Argus sightings, Vanoise National Park ranks 3rd at about 20%. The best odds are in Cairngorms National Park (United Kingdom, about 40%) and Triglav National Park (Slovenia, about 30%).
Same genus: Erebia
The closest relatives of the Scotch Argus that you can see in Vanoise National Park (genus Erebia, Alpines) are Common Brassy Ringlet (about 40%), Large Ringlet (about 30%) and Almond Ringlet (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Scotch Argus is recorded against all the insects logged in Vanoise National Park (21 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.
