Burnsius philetas
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Burnsius philetas, the desert checkered-skipper, formerly known as Pyrgus philetas, is a species of skipper butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found from the southern United States (southern Arizona east to southern Texas, and to southern Mexico. Individuals are also found north to northern Arizona and northern Texas.
The wingspan is 25–29 mm. There are two to three generations, from February to December in Texas and from April to October in Arizona. The larvae feed on several plants in the family Malvaceae, including Malvastrum and Sida. Adults feed on flower nectar. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Monterrey | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 3 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Desert Checkered-Skipper sighting in Big Bend National Park on a given day, based on 21 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 86th most-seen of the 329 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June and September
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Desert Checkered-Skipper in Big Bend National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April, July and December–February, the lowest months. Those are among Big Bend National Park's wettest months, with about 35 mm of rain a month against 10 mm in April.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Desert Checkered-Skipper sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Desert Checkered-Skipper sightings, Big Bend National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Saguaro National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Hesperiidae
The closest relatives of the Desert Checkered-Skipper that you can see in Big Bend National Park (family Hesperiidae, Skippers) are Orange Skipperling (about 30%), Mournful Duskywing (about 10%) and Golden-Headed Scallopwing (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Desert Checkered-Skipper is recorded against all the insects logged in Big Bend 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.
