Pyrisitia proterpia
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Eurema proterpia, the tailed orange, is a North and South American butterfly in the family Pieridae. The upperside of the wings is orange with a variable amount of black along the forewing costa. The wing veins are lightly marked with black in summer individuals, and winter individuals have no black veins. Males reflect UV light on their upper sides, and some females can be white. The underside of the wings varies depending on the season. Summer individuals are yellow orange with the hindwing slightly pointed. Winter individuals are brown with darker brown markings with the hindwing being much more pointed. The wingspan measures 1+1⁄4 to 1+3⁄4 inches (32–44 mm).
The only similar species in the tailed orange's range is the sleepy orange (Eurema nicippe). The sleepy orange has a black forewing cell spot on the upperside, the upperside of the hindwing has a black marginal border, and the hindwing is not pointed.
The tailed orange lives in a variety of open habitats such as open woodlands, deserts and subtropical habitats. This species may be found from mid-July to early January in Arizona, from August to November in Texas... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cañón del Sumidero National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 3 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guadalajara | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 2 | San Luis Potosí | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 3 | Monterrey | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 4 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Tailed Orange sighting in Mexico City on a given day, based on 25 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 230th most-seen of the 557 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Tailed Orange in Mexico City on a given day, against under 5% in October to August, the lowest months. That is one of Mexico City's wettest months, with about 150 mm of rain against 5 mm in December.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Tailed Orange sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 4
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Tailed Orange sightings, Mexico City ranks 4th at under 5%. The best odds are in Guadalajara (México, about 10%), San Luis Potosí (México, about 10%) and Monterrey (México, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Tailed Orange is recorded against all the insects logged in Mexico City (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.
