Rapala arata
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Rapala arata, the Japanese flash, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found from Russia (Amur, Ussuri, Sakhalin and the southern Kuriles), north-eastern China, Korea and Japan. The habitat consists of brook banks, meadows and the edges of montane mixed forests.
The length of the forewings is 14–17 mm. Adults are on wing from late May to late August in two generations in the southern part of the range. In the north, there is one generation with adults on wing in June. The larvae feed on Fabaceae, Saxifragaceae, Ericaceae, Rhamnaceae and Fagaceae species. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
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More parks will be added in future updates.
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Japanese Flash sighting in Tokyo on a given day, based on 19 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 534th most-seen of the 1013 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.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Japanese Flash in Tokyo on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Among the best
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Japanese Flash sightings, Tokyo ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Osaka (Japan, under 5%).
Same family: Lycaenidae
The closest relatives of the Japanese Flash that you can see in Tokyo (family Lycaenidae, Gossamer-winged Butterflies) are Pale Grass Blue (about 30%), Small Copper (about 20%) 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 Japanese Flash is recorded against all the insects logged in Tokyo (19 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.
