Phyciodes phaon
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%
Phyciodes phaon, the Phaon crescent or mat plant crescent, is a species of butterfly found in Florida, neighboring states, west to New Mexico and south to Cuba (since the 1930s) and the Cayman Islands where it is known as the crescent spot. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Padre Island National Seashore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Ciénaga de Zapata | 🇨🇺 Cuba | |
| 4 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Biotopo Cerro Cahuí | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | |
| 7 | Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 8 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Phaon Crescent sighting in Ciénaga de Zapata on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 3rd most-seen of the 9 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October
In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Phaon Crescent in Ciénaga de Zapata on a given day, against under 5% in December and January, the lowest months. That is one of Ciénaga de Zapata's wettest months, with about 110 mm of rain against 15 mm in February. September has too few records to rate.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Phaon Crescent sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 8 parks where we can rate Phaon Crescent sightings, Ciénaga de Zapata ranks 3rd at about 30%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Padre Island National Seashore (United States, about 30%) and Big Cypress National Preserve (United States, about 30%).
Same family: Nymphalidae
The closest relatives of the Phaon Crescent that you can see in Ciénaga de Zapata (family Nymphalidae, Brush-footed Butterflies) are Orion Cecropian (about 40%), White Peacock (about 40%) and Zebra Longwing (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Phaon Crescent is recorded against all the insects logged in Ciénaga de Zapata (9 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.
