Brachylomia viminalis
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The minor shoulder-knot (Brachylomia viminalis) is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1776. It is distributed throughout Europe then east across the Palearctic to Siberia and Japan. It also occurs in Turkey.
This is a fairly small species with a wingspan of 29–34 mm. It usually has pale grey forewings with darker markings towards the base, including the prominent black mark at the root of the wing which gives the species its common name. However this is a variable species and darker forms exist, including examples of industrial melanism which are prevalent in some towns and cities. The characteristic basal markings are not usually apparent on such individuals. The hindwings are pale or dark grey. The species flies at night in July and August[1] and is attracted to light and sugar, as well as various flowers.
Forewing dark or pale grey varied with fuscous; the base diffusely darker; the median shade broadly blackish; lines pale, approximating below middle, where they are conversely marked with black; a short black streak on base of submedian fold; claviform stigma long, black-edged, touching or... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Minor Shoulder-Knot sighting in Wadden Sea National Park on a given day, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 630th 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.
August
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Minor Shoulder-Knot in Wadden Sea National Park on a given day, against under 5% in September to July, the lowest months.
Between 11 pm and 2 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Minor Shoulder-Knot 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.
Only Wadden Sea National Park, in our data
Wadden Sea National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Minor Shoulder-Knot sightings: under 5% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same family: Noctuidae
The closest relatives of the Minor Shoulder-Knot 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 Minor Shoulder-Knot is recorded against all the insects logged in Wadden Sea National Park (11 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.
