Pelopidas mathias
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Pelopidas mathias, the dark small-branded swift, small branded swift, lesser millet skipper or black branded swift, is a butterfly belonging to the family Hesperiidae. It is found throughout much of south, southeast and East Asia, and as far as the Philippines. It is also present in tropical Africa and Arabia.
In 1891, Edward Yerbury Watson described it as: Male. Upperside olive brown: forewing with two small yellowish semi-transparent spots within end of cell, three before the apex, and in the male three oblique discal spots followed by a dark-bordered slender straight impressed glandular streak: hindwing with one or two very indistinct pale discal spots. Female with five discal spots in the forewing, and four or five in the hindwing. Underside paler; markings more distinct; hindwing also with a spot at upper end of the cell. Expanse 1.6 inch. (Moore)
P. mathias is considered a pest to rice-growing cultures, although it is not as damaging to rice plants as Parnara guttata. Newly hatched caterpillars are especially voracious in eating young seedlings. They also use silken threads to roll up and stitch together partially eaten leaves for more... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
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More parks will be added in future updates.
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Small Branded Swift sighting in Prayagraj on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 69th most-seen of the 117 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Small Branded Swift in Prayagraj on a given day, against under 5% in November to August, the lowest months. That is one of Prayagraj's wettest months, with about 160 mm of rain against almost none in November.
Among the best
Of the 18 cities where we can rate Small Branded Swift sightings, Prayagraj ranks 2nd at about 20%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Nagoya (Japan, about 20%).
Same family: Hesperiidae
The closest relatives of the Small Branded Swift that you can see in Prayagraj (family Hesperiidae, Skippers) are Parnara naso (about 30%), Indian Palm Bob (about 20%) and Common Banded Awl (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Small Branded Swift is recorded against all the insects logged in Prayagraj (13 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.
