Tarucus balkanica
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
Tarucus balkanicus, the Balkan Pierrot or little tiger blue, is a small butterfly that belongs to the lycaenids or blues family. They inhabit parts of West Africa, East Africa, the Middle East, North Africa, the Balkans, western and parts of central Asia, and arid savanna.
Their larvae feed on the Jerusalem thorn trees and on Ziziphus lotus. T. b. balkanicus (Mauritania, Niger: Aïr region, Sudan, Uganda, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Algeria, South East Europe, Asia Minor, Middle East, Syria, Iran, North Africa)
White with a prominent black streak from the base of both wings. Markings normally black. Continuous sub-marginal bands of connected black streaks. Male: discal spots and spot at cell-end on forewing. Mostly dark blue with a narrow border.
Female: Brownish grey with dark markings. Lycaenidae List of butterflies of India List of butterflies of India (Lycaenidae)... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
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More parks will be added in future updates.
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Little Tiger Blue sighting in Kolkata on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 172nd most-seen of the 213 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May, July, September and November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Little Tiger Blue in Kolkata on a given day, against under 5% in June, August, October and December–April, the lowest months. Those are among Kolkata's wettest months, with about 190 mm of rain a month against 10 mm in December.
Among the best
Of the 6 cities where we can rate Little Tiger Blue sightings, Kolkata ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Prayagraj (India, about 10%) and Tel Aviv (Israel, about 10%).
Same family: Lycaenidae
The closest relatives of the Little Tiger Blue that you can see in Kolkata (family Lycaenidae, Gossamer-winged Butterflies) are Plains Cupid (about 30%), Pale Grass Blue (about 20%) and Gram Blue (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Little Tiger Blue is recorded against all the insects logged in Kolkata (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.
