Idaea seriata
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The small dusty wave (Idaea seriata) is a moth of the family Geometridae first described by Franz von Paula Schrank in 1802. It is found throughout Western, Central and Northern Europe. In the north, its range extends as far as Denmark and southern Scandinavia. In the east its range extends as far as Russia (Moscow or Veliky Novgorod). Idaea seriata is replaced by the subspecies Idaea seriata canteneraria, from the north-east of Spain and the central and eastern Mediterranean (including the islands, except Crete) to the Crimean peninsula, while the western Mediterranean and the Balearic Islands are inhabited by the sister species Idaea minuscularia. Outside Europe it is found in eastern Algeria, Tunisia, Turkey, Cyprus, the Caucasus and the northwest of Transcaucasia. In Morocco and western Algeria, it is replaced by the sister species Idaea minuscularia. In the British Isles it is common in England and Wales but is only found in the eastern half of Scotland and it is rare in Ireland.
The species is very small (wingspan 19–21 mm) and is probably one of the least striking members of the whole family, being basically grey with all markings indistinct apart from the black discal spot typical of the genus. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 2 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 3 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 4 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Liverpool | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | Rome | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 4 | Vienna | 🇦🇹 Austria | |
| 5 | Copenhagen | 🇩🇰 Denmark | |
| 6 | Rotterdam [The Hague] | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 7 | Berlin | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 8 | Turin | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 9 | Dublin | 🇮🇪 Ireland | |
| 10 | Birmingham | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Small Dusty Wave sighting in Wadden Sea National Park on a given day, based on 26 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 214th most-seen of the 818 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June to September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Small Dusty Wave in Wadden Sea National Park on a given day, against under 5% in October to May, the lowest months.
Between 9 pm and midnight
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Small Dusty Wave sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Among the best
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Small Dusty Wave sightings, Wadden Sea National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Cévennes National Park (France, about 10%) and Bavarian Forest National Park (Germany, about 10%).
Same genus: Idaea
The closest relatives of the Small Dusty Wave that you can see in Wadden Sea National Park (genus Idaea) are Riband Wave (about 10%), Single-Dotted Wave (about 10%) and Small Scallop (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Small Dusty Wave is recorded against all the insects logged in Wadden Sea National Park (26 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.
