Burnsius philetas
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Burnsius philetas, the desert checkered-skipper, formerly known as Pyrgus philetas, is a species of skipper butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found from the southern United States (southern Arizona east to southern Texas, and to southern Mexico. Individuals are also found north to northern Arizona and northern Texas.
The wingspan is 25–29 mm. There are two to three generations, from February to December in Texas and from April to October in Arizona. The larvae feed on several plants in the family Malvaceae, including Malvastrum and Sida. Adults feed on flower nectar. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Monterrey | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 3 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Desert Checkered-Skipper sighting in Austin on a given day, based on 26 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 721st most-seen of the 1624 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
November
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Desert Checkered-Skipper in Austin on a given day, against under 5% in December to October, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Desert Checkered-Skipper sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Desert Checkered-Skipper sightings, Austin ranks 3rd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in San Antonio (United States, under 5%) and Monterrey (México, under 5%).
Same family: Hesperiidae
The closest relatives of the Desert Checkered-Skipper that you can see in Austin (family Hesperiidae, Skippers) are Fiery Skipper (about 20%), Blurry-Striped Longtail (about 20%) and Clouded Skipper (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Desert Checkered-Skipper is recorded against all the insects logged in Austin (26 verified sightings), 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.
