Castalius melaena
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
Tuxentius melaena, the black pie or dark pied Pierrot, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Africa. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Pilanesberg National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Castalius melaena sighting in Pretoria on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 195th most-seen of the 274 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January–February and April
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Castalius melaena in Pretoria on a given day, against under 5% in March and May–December, the lowest months. Those are among Pretoria's wettest months, with about 80 mm of rain a month against almost none in July.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Castalius melaena sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Castalius melaena sightings, Pretoria ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Durban (South Africa, about 10%).
Same family: Lycaenidae
The closest relatives of the Castalius melaena that you can see in Pretoria (family Lycaenidae, Gossamer-winged Butterflies) are African Grass Blue (about 20%), Geranium Bronze (about 10%) and Pea Blue (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Castalius melaena is recorded against all the insects logged in Pretoria (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.
