Burnsius philetas
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Burnsius philetas, the desert checkered-skipper, formerly known as Pyrgus philetas, is a species of skipper butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found from the southern United States (southern Arizona east to southern Texas, and to southern Mexico. Individuals are also found north to northern Arizona and northern Texas.
The wingspan is 25–29 mm. There are two to three generations, from February to December in Texas and from April to October in Arizona. The larvae feed on several plants in the family Malvaceae, including Malvastrum and Sida. Adults feed on flower nectar. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Monterrey | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 3 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Desert Checkered-Skipper sighting in San Antonio on a given day, based on 29 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 282nd most-seen of the 697 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.
January, June and October
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Desert Checkered-Skipper in San Antonio on a given day, against under 5% in February–May, July–September and November–December, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Desert Checkered-Skipper sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Desert Checkered-Skipper sightings, San Antonio has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Monterrey (México, under 5%) and Austin (United States, under 5%).
Same family: Hesperiidae
The closest relatives of the Desert Checkered-Skipper that you can see in San Antonio (family Hesperiidae, Skippers) are Fiery Skipper (about 20%), Blurry-Striped Longtail (about 20%) and Clouded Skipper (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Desert Checkered-Skipper is recorded against all the insects logged in San Antonio (29 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.
