Feniseca tarquinius
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Feniseca tarquinius, the harvester, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae, and the only member of the monotypic genus Feniseca. It is found in eastern North America. As a member of the subfamily Miletinae, this butterfly is entirely carnivorous (specifically insectivorous), making it the only obligate carnivore butterfly in North America. The larvae feed on various aphids, such as Neoprociphilus, Pemphigus, Prociphilus, and Schizoneura.
It is found in early spring until fall and is generally scarce. It lives in wooded areas near streams close to alders. The wingspan is 23–32 mm. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Harvester sighting in Toronto on a given day, based on 97 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 247th most-seen of the 1689 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June to August
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Harvester in Toronto on a given day, against under 5% in September to May, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Harvester 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 5 cities where we can rate Harvester sightings, Toronto has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Philadelphia (United States, under 5%) and New York City (United States, under 5%).
Same family: Lycaenidae
The closest relatives of the Harvester that you can see in Toronto (family Lycaenidae, Gossamer-winged Butterflies) are Common Blue (about 30%), Elkalyce comyntas (about 10%) and Silvery Blue (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Harvester is recorded against all the insects logged in Toronto (97 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.
