Echinargus isola
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Echinargus isola, or Reakirt's blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is the sole representative of the monotypic genus Echinargus. It is found in Central America and the extreme southern U.S. Echinargus isola migrates regularly throughout most of the U.S. almost to the Canada–United States border, and very rarely into the southern prairies.
The wingspan is 16–23 mm. Adults are on wing from June to October in the north and year-round in south. Its habitats include fields, gardens, open areas, and host plants. The larvae feed on Fabaceae, particularly mesquites (Prosopis species). Adults feed on flower nectar from spearmint, white sweet clover, and a variety of other herbs. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Bahía de Loreto National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 4 | Guadalupe Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Grand Canyon National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Padre Island National Seashore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 8 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Rocky Mountain National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Zion National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Puebla | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 3 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Monterrey | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 5 | Denver | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Guadalajara | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 7 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 8 | San Luis Potosí | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 9 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Torreón | 🇲🇽 México |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Reakirt's Blue sighting in Denver on a given day, based on 168 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 44th most-seen of the 461 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Reakirt's Blue in Denver on a given day, against under 5% in November to April, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Reakirt's Blue sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
5th of 15
Of the 15 cities where we can rate Reakirt's Blue sightings, Denver ranks 5th at about 10%. The best odds are in San Antonio (United States, about 20%), Puebla (México, about 10%) and Austin (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Lycaenidae
The closest relatives of the Reakirt's Blue that you can see in Denver (family Lycaenidae, Gossamer-winged Butterflies) are Gray Hairstreak (about 10%), Western Pygmy-Blue (about 10%) and Marine Blue (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Reakirt's Blue is recorded against all the insects logged in Denver (168 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.
