Dark Spectacle

Dark Spectacle

Abrostola triplasia

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Wadden Sea National Park

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

5 Verified sightings at Wadden Sea National Park From 2019 to 2026
24 In all 4 parks
September Best month
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted

About the Dark Spectacle

Abrostola triplasia (the dark spectacle) is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found across the entire Palearctic realm (Europe (all countries), North Africa, Russia, Siberia, and Japan). Subarctic territories with an average temperature of below 6 °C are an exception. In the warmest and driest regions of the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and the mountains in West and Central Asia, the species occurs only scattered or is entirely lacking.

The wingspan is 32–38 mm. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Snowdonia National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
2 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
3 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
<5%
4 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Liverpool 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
2 Nizhny Novgorod 🇷🇺 Russia
<5%
3 Porto 🇵🇹 Portugal
<5%
4 Kyiv 🇺🇦 Ukraine
<5%
5 Berlin 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%
6 London 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%
7 Paris 🇫🇷 France
<5%
8 Helsinki 🇫🇮 Finland
<5%
9 Prague 🇨🇿 Czechia
<5%
10 Moscow 🇷🇺 Russia
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Dark Spectacle in Wadden Sea National Park?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Dark Spectacle sighting in Wadden Sea National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 699th 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 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Dark Spectacle in Wadden Sea National Park?

September

In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Dark Spectacle in Wadden Sea National Park on a given day, against under 5% in October to August, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Dark Spectacle?

Between 10 pm and 1 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Dark Spectacle sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.

Which relatives of the Dark Spectacle live in Wadden Sea National Park?

Same family: Noctuidae

The closest relatives of the Dark Spectacle 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.

Where does the Dark Spectacle sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Dark Spectacle is recorded against all the insects logged in Wadden Sea 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.

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