Euchrysops malathana
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Euchrysops malathana, the common smoky blue or smoky bean Cupid, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in south-western Arabia and Africa, south of the Sahara including Madagascar. The wingspan is 22–30 mm for males and 23–31 mm for females. Adults are on wing year-round, with a peak from December to May in South Africa.
The larvae feed on Sphenostylis angustifolius, Medicago, Psidium, Canavalia and Vigna species (including V. triloba and V. unguiculata). Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lusaka | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 2 | Antananarivo | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 3 | Nairobi | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 4 | Durban | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Grey Smoky Blue sighting in Nairobi on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 99th most-seen of the 123 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
November
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Grey Smoky Blue in Nairobi on a given day, against under 5% in February–March, May–June, August–October and December, the lowest months. That is one of Nairobi's wettest months, with about 120 mm of rain against 25 mm in July.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Grey Smoky Blue sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 4
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Grey Smoky Blue sightings, Nairobi ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Lusaka (Zambia, about 20%) and Antananarivo (Madagascar, about 20%).
Same family: Lycaenidae
The closest relatives of the Grey Smoky Blue that you can see in Nairobi (family Lycaenidae, Gossamer-winged Butterflies) are African Grass Blue (about 20%), Pea Blue (about 10%) and Red-Clover Blue (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Grey Smoky Blue is recorded against all the insects logged in Nairobi (6 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.
