Jamides alecto
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Jamides alecto, the metallic cerulean, is a small species of butterfly found in the Indomalayan realm but which crosses the Wallace line into the Australasian realm (Celebes). It belongs to the lycaenids or blues family.
Under-side pale pinkish grey, markings white but indistinct: fore wing with two lines across the end of the cell, continued to the hinder margin beyond its middle, two dislocated lines beyond in the fourth, fifth, and sixth interspaces, with a line in the third interspace from between the last two; two rows of submarginal lines and an indistinct marginal line, all three dislocated by the veins: hind wing with three rows of transverse double lines at equal distances apart, and a marginal series, all dislocated by the veins; a brownish spot... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sinharaja Forest Reserve | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 2 | Doi Inthanon National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 3 | Taroko National Park | 🇹🇼 Taiwan |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Metallic Cerulean sighting in Taichung on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 79th most-seen of the 197 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June, August and October
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Metallic Cerulean in Taichung on a given day, against under 5% in January–May and July, the lowest months. Those are among Taichung's wettest months, with about 230 mm of rain a month against 40 mm in December.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Metallic Cerulean sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
5th of 7
Of the 7 cities where we can rate Metallic Cerulean sightings, Taichung ranks 5th at about 10%. The best odds are in Kathmandu (Nepal, about 20%), Taipei (Taiwan, about 20%) and Tuen Mun (China, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Metallic Cerulean is recorded against all the insects logged in Taichung (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.
