Chlosyne californica
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
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 Phoenix on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 180th most-seen of the 264 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.
April and September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a California Patch in Phoenix on a given day, against under 5% in May–August and October–March, 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.
3rd of 3
Of the 3 cities where we can rate California Patch sightings, Phoenix ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Las Vegas (United States, about 10%) and Mesa (United States, under 5%).
Same family: Nymphalidae
The closest relatives of the California Patch that you can see in Phoenix (family Nymphalidae, Brush-footed Butterflies) are Queen (about 40%), Monarch (about 20%) and Gulf Fritillary (about 10%), 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 Phoenix (8 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.
