Pontia helice
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Pontia helice, the meadow white, is a butterfly in the family Pieridae. It is found in southern Africa. Wingspan is 35–40 mm in males and 37–43 mm in females. Flight period is year-round. The larvae feed on Heliophila species, Lobularia maritima, Lepidum capense, Rapistrum rugosum, and Reseda odorata. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Golden Gate Highlands National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | West Coast National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johannesburg | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Durban | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Cape Town | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Pretoria | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an African Meadow White sighting in Johannesburg on a given day, based on 25 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 58th most-seen of the 213 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.
February
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report an African Meadow White in Johannesburg on a given day, against under 5% in July, October and December, the lowest months. That is one of Johannesburg's wettest months, with about 80 mm of rain against almost none in July.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most African Meadow White sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 4 cities where we can rate African Meadow White sightings, Johannesburg has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Durban (South Africa, about 10%) and Cape Town (South Africa, about 10%).
Same family: Pieridae
The closest relatives of the African Meadow White that you can see in Johannesburg (family Pieridae, Whites, Yellows, and Sulphurs) are Pioneer White (about 20%), Rüppell's Dotted Border (about 10%) and African Migrant (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the African Meadow White is recorded against all the insects logged in Johannesburg (25 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.
