Mamestra brassicae
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The cabbage moth (Mamestra brassicae) is primarily known as a pest that is responsible for severe crop damage of a wide variety of plant species. The common name, cabbage moth, is a misnomer as the species feeds on many fruits, vegetables, and crops in the genus Brassica (i.e. cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts). Other notable host plants include tobacco, sunflower, and tomato, making this pest species particularly economically damaging.
The moth spans a wide geographic range encompassing the entire Palearctic region. Due to this wide geographic region and the presence of various populations globally, local adaptations have resulted in a species with high variability in life history and behavior across different populations.
The cabbage moth has a wide geographic distribution across parts of Europe and Asia ranging from about 30°N to 70°N in latitude. This geographic range is within the Palearctic region, which includes parts of Europe, Asia north of the Himalayan Mountains, and Africa north of the Sahara Desert. As many host plants are both endemic or domesticated in various parts of this region, the moth is able to successfully thrive in nearly all parts of... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 2 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Porto | 🇵🇹 Portugal | |
| 3 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 4 | Kyiv | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | |
| 5 | Manchester | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 6 | Birmingham | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 7 | Osaka | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 8 | Minsk | 🇧🇾 Belarus | |
| 9 | Seoul | 🇰🇷 South Korea | |
| 10 | Prague | 🇨🇿 Czechia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Cabbage Moth sighting in Wadden Sea National Park on a given day, based on 20 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 361st most-seen of the 818 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June and August–September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Cabbage Moth in Wadden Sea National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July and October–May, the lowest months.
Between 6 and 9 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Cabbage Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Cabbage Moth sightings, Wadden Sea National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Bavarian Forest National Park (Germany, about 10%).
Same family: Noctuidae
The closest relatives of the Cabbage Moth that you can see in Wadden Sea National Park (family Noctuidae, Cutworm Moths and Allies) are Large Yellow Underwing (about 20%), Silver Υ (about 20%) and Flame Shoulder Moth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Cabbage Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Wadden Sea National Park (20 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.
