Northern Pearly-Eye

Northern Pearly-Eye

Lethe anthedon

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Montreal

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

5 Verified sightings at Montreal
253 In all 6 parks From 2019 to 2026
July Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Northern Pearly-Eye

Lethe anthedon, the northern pearly-eye, is a species of butterfly in the subfamily Satyrinae of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in North America, from central Saskatchewan and eastern Nebraska east to Nova Scotia, south to central Alabama and Mississippi.

The wingspan is 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches (43–67 mm.) The upperside is brown with dark eyespots and the underside is brown. Adults feed on dung, fungi, carrion and sap from willows, poplars, and birches. The larvae feed on various grasses, including Leersia virginica, Erianthus species, Muhlenbergia species, bearded shortgrass (Brachyelytrum erectum), Chasmanthium latifolium, bottlebrush grass (Hystrix patula), and false melic grass (Schizachne purpurascens). The host plants of a northern population include sedges (Carex species).

The species overwinters in the larval stage. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Elk Island National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~30%
2 Riding Mountain National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~20%
3 Isle Royale National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
4 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
6 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Washington 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Edmonton 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
3 Chicago 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
4 Baltimore 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
5 Toronto 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
6 Minneapolis [Saint Paul] 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
7 Montreal 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Northern Pearly-Eye in Montreal?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Pearly-Eye sighting in Montreal on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 842nd most-seen of the 926 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.

When is the best time to see a Northern Pearly-Eye in Montreal?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Pearly-Eye in Montreal on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Northern Pearly-Eye?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Northern Pearly-Eye sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Montreal the best place to see a Northern Pearly-Eye?

7th of 7

Of the 7 cities where we can rate Northern Pearly-Eye sightings, Montreal ranks 7th at under 5%. The best odds are in Washington (United States, about 10%), Edmonton (Canada, about 10%) and Chicago (United States, under 5%).

Where does the Northern Pearly-Eye sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Northern Pearly-Eye is recorded against all the insects logged in Montreal (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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