Chlosyne californica
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Chlosyne californica, the California patch, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae found in the Southwestern United States and Mexico. It lives in desert washes and canyons in regions between southern Nevada south to southwestern Arizona, southeastern California, Baja California and Sonora.
The wingspan is 1+1⁄4–2 inches (32–51 mm). The upper side of the wings is brownish-black at the base and costal edge, with a wide yellow-orange median band and large orange submarginal spots. The underside is similar, with a red spot on the hindwing near the abdomen blending into the median band. Adults feed on flower nectar.
The larvae feed on Parish goldeneye (Bahiopsis parishii) and occasionally on sunflowers (Helianthus annuus). Austin, George T. and Anna T. Austin. 1981. Butterflies of Clark County, Nevada. Barnes, William and James Halliday McDunnough. 1916. Notes on North American diurnal Lepidoptera. Contributions to the Natural History of the Lepidoptera of North America 3(2): 49–156, 8 pls. {15 Dec 1916} Comstock, John Adams. 1927. Butterflies of California. A popular guide to... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Grand Canyon National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a California Patch sighting in Mesa on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 178th most-seen of the 232 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.
September and October
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a California Patch in Mesa on a given day, against under 5% in November to August, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most California Patch sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 3
Of the 3 cities where we can rate California Patch sightings, Mesa ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Las Vegas (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Nymphalidae
The closest relatives of the California Patch that you can see in Mesa (family Nymphalidae, Brush-footed Butterflies) are Queen (about 30%), Monarch (about 20%) and Painted Lady (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the California Patch is recorded against all the insects logged in Mesa (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.
