Urbanus dorantes
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
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 →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cabo Pulmo National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Bahía de Loreto National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 3 | Galápagos Islands | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 4 | Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 5 | Masaya Volcano National Park | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | |
| 6 | Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 7 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Iguazú National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 10 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 11 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Arenal Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toluca | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 2 | Puebla | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 3 | Guadalajara | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 4 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 5 | Porto Alegre | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 6 | Vitória | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 7 | San Luis Potosí | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 8 | Fortaleza | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 9 | Managua | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | |
| 10 | León | 🇲🇽 México |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Dorantes Longtail sighting in Cabo Pulmo National Park on a given day, based on 22 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 2nd most-seen of the 22 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
December and January
In those months about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Dorantes Longtail in Cabo Pulmo National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May, the lowest month. Those are among Cabo Pulmo National Park's driest months, with about 5 mm of rain a month against 120 mm in September.
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.
Yes
Of the 13 parks where we can rate Dorantes Longtail sightings, Cabo Pulmo National Park has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Bahía de Loreto National Park (Mexico, about 30%) and Galápagos Islands (Ecuador, about 20%).
Same order: Lepidoptera
The closest relatives of the Dorantes Longtail that you can see in Cabo Pulmo National Park (order Lepidoptera, Butterflies and Moths) are Mexican Fritillary (about 50%), Texan Crescent (about 30%) and Great Southern White (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Dorantes Longtail is recorded against all the insects logged in Cabo Pulmo National Park (22 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.
