Taractrocera maevius
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Taractrocera maevius, the common grass dart, is a species of butterfly belonging to the family Hesperiidae. It is found in India, Sri Lanka and Myanmar. Male. Upperside olive-brown, with yellowish-white markings. Forewing with a short streak on the median vein in the middle of the cell, another above it at the upper end, with two short small streaks between it and the costa, sometimes connected together; a series of spots in two parts across the disc, three conjoined from the costa near the apex, and four commencing at the base of the second median interspace, divided from each other by the veins, all the spots somewhat quadrate and excavated on their outward sides, two small quadrate spots nearer the margin in the fifth and sixth interspaces. Hindwing with a series of small spots in almost a straight line in the middle of the disc. Cilia of both wings grey with white tips. Underside with the colour similar, almost as dark as on the upperside, markings similar, but on the hindwing there is a bar across the end of the cell, and two small sub-apical spots outside it. Antennse black with white bands, the club with a white basal patch on the underside; palpi above grey... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Common Grass-Dart sighting in Chennai on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 298th most-seen of the 376 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January, August–September and November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Grass-Dart in Chennai on a given day, against under 5% in February–July, October and December, the lowest months. Those are among Chennai's wettest months, with about 150 mm of rain a month against 5 mm in February.
5th of 7
Of the 7 cities where we can rate Common Grass-Dart sightings, Chennai ranks 5th at under 5%. The best odds are in Salem (India, about 20%), Colombo [Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte] (Sri Lanka, about 20%) and Kochi (India, about 10%).
Same family: Hesperiidae
The closest relatives of the Common Grass-Dart that you can see in Chennai (family Hesperiidae, Skippers) are Parnara naso (about 30%), Common Banded Awl (about 20%) and Grass Demon (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Common Grass-Dart is recorded against all the insects logged in Chennai (6 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.
