Icaricia saepiolus
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Plebejus saepiolus, formerly Icaricia saepiolus, the greenish blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found from the northwestern United States to southern Saskatchewan and Alberta. The wingspan is 21–28 mm. Adults are on wing from June to August.
The larvae feed on Trifolium monathum, Trifolium longipes, and Trifolium wormskioldii. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kluane National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Elk Island National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Jasper National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Rocky Mountain National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Banff National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Olympic National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Riding Mountain National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 10 | Yellowstone National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Grand Teton National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | Glacier National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Grand Canyon National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Greenish Blue sighting in Calgary on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 136th most-seen of the 256 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.
June
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Greenish Blue in Calgary on a given day, against under 5% in July to May, the lowest months. That is one of Calgary's wettest months, with about 120 mm of rain against 15 mm in January.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Greenish Blue 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 2 cities where we can rate Greenish Blue sightings, Calgary ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Edmonton (Canada, under 5%).
Same family: Lycaenidae
The closest relatives of the Greenish Blue that you can see in Calgary (family Lycaenidae, Gossamer-winged Butterflies) are Silvery Blue (about 10%), Elkalyce amyntula (about 10%) and Melissa Blue (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Greenish Blue is recorded against all the insects logged in Calgary (13 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.
