Dorantes Longtail

Dorantes Longtail

Urbanus dorantes

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Big Cypress National Preserve

In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%

25 Verified sightings at Big Cypress National Preserve From 2019 to 2026
413 In all 13 parks
November Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Dorantes Longtail

Cecropterus dorantes, the lilac-banded longtail or Dorantes longtail, is a species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found from Argentina, north through Central America, Mexico, and the West Indies to southern Texas and peninsular Florida. Strays can be found as far north as northern California, southern Arizona, southern Missouri and North Carolina.

The wingspan is 37–51 mm. There are three to four generations throughout the year in southern Florida and southern Texas. The larvae feed on various legumes, including wild and cultivated Phaseolus species, Desmodium and blue peas Clitoria. Adults feed on flower nectar from various plants, including shepherd's needle, lantana, trilisa, ironweed, and bougainvillea.

Cecropterus dorantes galapagensis (Galapagos) Cecropterus dorantes calafia (Mexico (Baja California)) Cecropterus dorantes cramptoni (Antilles, Puerto... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Cabo Pulmo National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~40%
2 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~30%
3 Galápagos Islands 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~20%
4 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
5 Masaya Volcano National Park 🇳🇮 Nicaragua
~20%
6 Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
7 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
8 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
9 Iguazú National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~10%
10 Cumbres de Monterrey National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
11 Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
12 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
13 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Toluca 🇲🇽 México
~20%
2 Puebla 🇲🇽 México
~20%
3 Guadalajara 🇲🇽 México
~20%
4 Mexico City 🇲🇽 México
~20%
5 Porto Alegre 🇧🇷 Brazil
~20%
6 Vitória 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
7 San Luis Potosí 🇲🇽 México
~10%
8 Fortaleza 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
9 Managua 🇳🇮 Nicaragua
~10%
10 León 🇲🇽 México
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Dorantes Longtail in Big Cypress National Preserve?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Dorantes Longtail sighting in Big Cypress National Preserve on a given day, based on 25 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 46th most-seen of the 262 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Dorantes Longtail in Big Cypress National Preserve?

November

In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Dorantes Longtail in Big Cypress National Preserve on a given day, against under 5% in February and May–June, the lowest months. That is one of Big Cypress National Preserve's driest months, with about 60 mm of rain against 260 mm in June.

What time of day is best to see a Dorantes Longtail?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Dorantes Longtail sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Big Cypress National Preserve the best place to see a Dorantes Longtail?

7th of 13

Of the 13 parks where we can rate Dorantes Longtail sightings, Big Cypress National Preserve ranks 7th at about 20%. The best odds are in Cabo Pulmo National Park (Mexico, about 40%), Bahía de Loreto National Park (Mexico, about 30%) and Galápagos Islands (Ecuador, about 20%).

Where does the Dorantes Longtail sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Dorantes Longtail is recorded against all the insects logged in Big Cypress National Preserve (25 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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