Leptosia alcesta
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Leptosia alcesta, the African wood white or flip flop, is a butterfly of the family Pieridae, found in Africa. The wingspan is 30–40 mm in males and 35–42 mm in females. The adults fly year-round, peaking from March to May.
The larvae feed on Ritchiea species, Capparis fascicularis, and Capparis brassii. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | uMkhuze Game Reserve | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Nairobi National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 4 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an African Wood White sighting in Durban on a given day, based on 41 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 51st most-seen of the 401 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.
May
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report an African Wood White in Durban on a given day, against under 5% in December to February, the lowest months. That is one of Durban's driest months, with about 40 mm of rain against 210 mm in January.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most African Wood White sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 2 cities where we can rate African Wood White sightings, Durban ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Nairobi (Kenya, about 10%).
Same family: Pieridae
The closest relatives of the African Wood White that you can see in Durban (family Pieridae, Whites, Yellows, and Sulphurs) are African Caper (about 20%), African Migrant (about 10%) and Small Ant-Heap White (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the African Wood White is recorded against all the insects logged in Durban (41 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.
