Marpesia zerynthia
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
Marpesia zerynthia, the waiter, is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. Primarily found in Mesoamerica, it can also be observed in regions slightly north and south of this area. The distribution of Marpesia zerynthia is limited to the Neotropical realm. Specifically, it is known to occur in the South American countries of Peru, Bolivia, Colombia and northern Brazil. It also occurs in Mesoamerica, including central Mexico, and vagrants may rarely be observed as far north as Texas, United States. This species inhabits tropical deciduous and evergreen forests, and maycan be found in open areas. Marpesia zerynthia occurs at altitudes up to 2,400 m. It is generally a cloud-forest species, and so it is most common between approximately 800 to 1,800 m.
Eggs are laid singly on the leaves of trees and shrubs in the family Moraceae, which includes the genera Ficus (figs), Chlorophora, Brosimum and Artocarpus. Conical in shape, the eggs have 11 vertical ribs, as well as many less prominent horizontal ribs. The horizontal ribs are spaced further apart from each other, the further they are from the top of the egg. A micropyle is located at... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cusuco National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 2 | Itatiaia National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 3 | Podocarpus National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 4 | Serra dos Órgãos National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 5 | Farallones de Cali National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 6 | Chirripó National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 7 | Los Nevados National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 8 | La Amistad International Park (Panama) | 🇵🇦 Panama |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Waiter Daggerwing sighting in Chirripó National Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 103rd most-seen of the 127 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April and November
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Waiter Daggerwing in Chirripó National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March, May, July–October and December–January, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Waiter Daggerwing sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
6th of 8
Of the 8 parks where we can rate Waiter Daggerwing sightings, Chirripó National Park ranks 6th at about 10%. The best odds are in Cusuco National Park (Honduras, about 30%), Itatiaia National Park (Brazil, about 20%) and Podocarpus National Park (Ecuador, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Waiter Daggerwing is recorded against all the insects logged in Chirripó National Park (6 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.
