Byasa mencius
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Byasa mencius is a butterfly from the family Papilionidae (swallowtails). It is found in China. The species was first described by Cajetan Felder and Rudolf Felder in 1862. The wingspan is 10–11 cm. The wings are dark brown with chain of large red spots on the hindwings. The underside of the body is covered in red hairs.
The larvae feed on Cocullus carolinus. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Byasa mencius sighting in Beijing on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 222nd most-seen of the 401 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.
August and September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Byasa mencius in Beijing on a given day, against under 5% in October to July, the lowest months. Those are among Beijing's wettest months, with about 85 mm of rain a month against almost none in January.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Byasa mencius sightings, Beijing ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Nanjing (China, about 10%).
Same family: Papilionidae
The closest relatives of the Byasa mencius that you can see in Beijing (family Papilionidae, Swallowtails and Parnassians) are Chinese Yellow Swallowtail (about 10%), Dragon Swallowtail (about 10%) and Old World Swallowtail (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Byasa mencius is recorded against all the insects logged in Beijing (10 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.
