Spotted Joker

Spotted Joker

Byblia ilithyia

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Chennai

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%

12 Verified sightings at Chennai
206 In all 7 parks From 2019 to 2026
September Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Spotted Joker

Byblia ilithyia, the spotted joker or joker, is a species of nymphalid butterfly found in parts of Africa and Asia. The male has the upperwings of a deep rich orange. The forewing has the costa broadly black until nearly the apex. The cell has three narrow short black bands, the inner and outer not reaching the median vein. An irregular black spot from dorsum to vein 4, continues very narrowly along that vein to meet an oblique irregular band from just beyond the middle of the costa. A postdiscal broad transverse black band from dorsum to vein 4, with the portions of the veins beyond it defined in black. The apex of the wing beyond the broad black edging to the costal border has its upper margin and the terminal portions of the veins defined in black; finally a narrow terminal band. The hindwing has an elongate black sub-costal patch near base, continued posteriorly across the cell by an inner and an outer series of small transverse spots; a complete broad black postdiscal band with the portions of the veins beyond it lined with black, and a narrow black terminal band as on the forewing. Cilia of forewings and hindwings white, alternated... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Meru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~40%
2 Waterberg Plateau Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
~30%
3 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~30%
4 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~20%
5 Pilanesberg National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
6 Etosha National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
~10%
7 Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Coimbatore 🇮🇳 India
~20%
2 Salem 🇮🇳 India
~20%
3 Pretoria 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
4 Johannesburg 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
5 Chennai 🇮🇳 India
~10%
6 Durban 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Spotted Joker in Chennai?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Spotted Joker sighting in Chennai on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 205th most-seen of the 376 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.

When is the best time to see a Spotted Joker in Chennai?

February, July–September and November

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Spotted Joker in Chennai on a given day, against under 5% in March–June, October and December–January, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Spotted Joker?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Spotted Joker sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Chennai the best place to see a Spotted Joker?

5th of 6

Of the 6 cities where we can rate Spotted Joker sightings, Chennai ranks 5th at about 10%. The best odds are in Coimbatore (India, about 20%), Salem (India, about 20%) and Pretoria (South Africa, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Spotted Joker live in Chennai?

Same family: Nymphalidae

The closest relatives of the Spotted Joker that you can see in Chennai (family Nymphalidae, Brush-footed Butterflies) are Tawny Coster (about 40%), Plain Tiger Butterfly (about 40%) and Lemon Pansy (about 40%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Spotted Joker sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Spotted Joker is recorded against all the insects logged in Chennai (12 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.

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