Atalopedes campestris
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Atalopedes campestris (commonly known as the sachem or field skipper) is a small grass skipper butterfly. It has a wingspan of 35–41 mm (1+3⁄8–1+5⁄8 in). Male is orange, edged with brown, and has a large brown-black stigma. Female is darker with lighter markings in the center of the wing.
The sachem's wingspan is 35–41 mm (1+3⁄8–1+5⁄8 in). The sexes are dissimilar but both have elongated wings. The uppersides of the male forewing are orange bordered with brown and have a large four sided black stigma. The color of the uppersides of the female wings are dark brown with golden spots in the center but are highly variable, light to very dark. The uppersides of the female forewing have a black median spot and several semi-transparent spots. Females can always be identified by the square white transparent spot at the end of the forewing cell.
Underside of wings on both sexes are variable but the female hindwing is brown with light colored four-sided spots. The sachem is often mistaken for other skipper butterflies in the genus Hesperia. In 2022, the population in the eastern part of the continent was designated a separate species, A. huron, the huron sachem. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sacramento | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Field Skipper sighting in Sacramento on a given day, based on 59 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 91st most-seen of the 386 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.
September and October
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Field Skipper in Sacramento on a given day, against under 5% in November to August, the lowest months. Those are among Sacramento's driest months, with about 15 mm of rain a month against 120 mm in December.
Yes
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Field Skipper sightings, Sacramento has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come San Francisco (United States, under 5%).
Same family: Hesperiidae
The closest relatives of the Field Skipper that you can see in Sacramento (family Hesperiidae, Skippers) are Fiery Skipper (about 20%), Mournful Duskywing (about 20%) and Common Checkered-Skipper (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Field Skipper is recorded against all the insects logged in Sacramento (59 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.
