Plains Cupid

Plains Cupid

Luthrodes pandava

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Cat Tien National Park

In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%

13 Verified sightings at Cat Tien National Park From 2019 to 2026
55 In all 5 parks
November Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Plains Cupid

Luthrodes pandava also called the Plains Cupid or cycad blue, is a species of lycaenid butterfly found in South Asia, Myanmar, United Arab Emirates, Indochina, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Java, Sumatra and the Philippines. They are among the few butterflies that breed on cycads, known for their leaves being toxic to most vertebrates.

The male upperside is lavender blue. Forewing has the costa narrowly and terminal margin more broadly fuscous brown, the latter with in addition an anteciliary black line; cilia light brown transversely traversed close to but not at their bases by a dark brown line. Hindwing: costa narrowly fuscous brown; a subterminal series of black spots outwardly edged by a white line; the spot in interspace 2 the largest and inwardly crowned more or less broadly with ochraceous yellow; an anteciliary black line and the cilia as on the forewing. Underside: greyish brown. Forewings and hindwings: the following transverse darker brown markings on each wing, the markings edged on the inner and outer sides with white lines—a short bar across the discocellulars, a discal catenulated (linked like a chain) band, the posterior... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Cuc Phuong National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
~30%
2 Cat Tien National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
~20%
3 Taman Negara National Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~20%
4 Sepilok 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~10%
5 Kaeng Krachan National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Vadodara 🇮🇳 India
~40%
2 Visakhapatnam 🇮🇳 India
~40%
3 Naha 🇯🇵 Japan
~40%
4 Cairo 🇪🇬 Egypt
~40%
5 Durg 🇮🇳 India
~30%
6 Prayagraj 🇮🇳 India
~30%
7 Surat 🇮🇳 India
~30%
8 Hanoi 🇻🇳 Vietnam
~30%
9 Changzhou 🇨🇳 China
~30%
10 Karachi 🇵🇰 Pakistan
~30%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Plains Cupid in Cat Tien National Park?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Plains Cupid sighting in Cat Tien National Park on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 50th most-seen of the 125 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Plains Cupid in Cat Tien National Park?

November

In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Plains Cupid in Cat Tien National Park on a given day, against under 5% in August to October, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Plains Cupid?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Plains Cupid 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 Cat Tien National Park the best place to see a Plains Cupid?

2nd of 5

Of the 5 parks where we can rate Plains Cupid sightings, Cat Tien National Park ranks 2nd at about 20%. The best odds are in Cuc Phuong National Park (Vietnam, about 30%).

Which relatives of the Plains Cupid live in Cat Tien National Park?

Same family: Lycaenidae

The closest relatives of the Plains Cupid that you can see in Cat Tien National Park (family Lycaenidae, Gossamer-winged Butterflies) are Common Imperial (about 20%), Common Pierrot (about 20%) and Common Posy (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Plains Cupid sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Plains Cupid is recorded against all the insects logged in Cat Tien National Park (13 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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