Lycaeides melissa
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
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 |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Melissa Blue sighting in Denver on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 352nd most-seen of the 461 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.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Melissa Blue in Denver on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
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.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Melissa Blue sightings, Denver ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Calgary (Canada, about 10%).
Same family: Lycaenidae
The closest relatives of the Melissa Blue that you can see in Denver (family Lycaenidae, Gossamer-winged Butterflies) are Reakirt's Blue (about 10%), Gray Hairstreak (about 10%) and Western Pygmy-Blue (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 Denver (7 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.
