Spotted Sailer

Spotted Sailer

Neptis saclava

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Johannesburg

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%

5 Verified sightings at Johannesburg
65 In all 4 parks From 2019 to 2026
February Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Spotted Sailer

Neptis saclava, the spotted sailer, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is native to Madagascar and to large areas of sub-Saharan Africa. Its wingspan is 40–45 mm in males and 45–48 mm in females The hindwing beneath at the base with whitish ground-colour and numerous irregular light red-brown spots, more or less joined together; cell of the forewing above unicolorous or with small white dots, beneath white with irregular light red-brown markings; discal spot 4 of the forewing is absent or very small, dot-like; the hindmarginal spot of the forewing is. large and touches the spot in cellule 2 or is only narrowly separated from it; the median band of the hindwing is 4—-7 mm. in breadth. Madagascar

Images BOLD Adults are on the wing year round with a peak from December to May. The larvae feed on Acalypha glabrata, Combretum bracteosum, Ricinus communis, Australina, and Pilea. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~30%
2 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
3 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
4 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Nairobi 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
2 Durban 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
3 Lusaka 🇿🇲 Zambia
~10%
4 Johannesburg 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Spotted Sailer in Johannesburg?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Spotted Sailer sighting in Johannesburg on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 180th most-seen of the 213 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Spotted Sailer in Johannesburg?

February–April and August

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Spotted Sailer in Johannesburg on a given day, against under 5% in May–July and September–January, the lowest months.

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

Between 8 and 11 am

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

Is Johannesburg the best place to see a Spotted Sailer?

4th of 4

Of the 4 cities where we can rate Spotted Sailer sightings, Johannesburg ranks 4th at under 5%. The best odds are in Nairobi (Kenya, about 10%), Durban (South Africa, about 10%) and Lusaka (Zambia, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Spotted Sailer live in Johannesburg?

Same family: Nymphalidae

The closest relatives of the Spotted Sailer that you can see in Johannesburg (family Nymphalidae, Brush-footed Butterflies) are Garden Acraea (about 30%), Junonia archesia (about 30%) and Painted Lady (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Spotted Sailer sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Spotted Sailer is recorded against all the insects logged in Johannesburg (5 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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