Lycaeides melissa
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The Melissa blue (Plebejus melissa) is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in western North America, from Canada to Mexico. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Badlands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Yellowstone National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Melissa Blue sighting in Calgary on a given day, based on 77 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 62nd most-seen of the 256 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June to September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Melissa Blue in Calgary on a given day, against under 5% in October to May, the lowest months. Those are among Calgary's wettest months, with about 70 mm of rain a month against 15 mm in January.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Melissa 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.
Yes
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Melissa Blue sightings, Calgary has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Denver (United States, under 5%).
Same family: Lycaenidae
The closest relatives of the Melissa Blue that you can see in Calgary (family Lycaenidae, Gossamer-winged Butterflies) are Silvery Blue (about 10%), Elkalyce amyntula (about 10%) and Northern Azure (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Melissa Blue is recorded against all the insects logged in Calgary (77 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.
