Hylephila phyleus
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The fiery skipper (Hylephila phyleus) is a species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. Reaching approximately 1 inch (2.5 cm) in length, male fiery skippers are orange or yellow while the females are dark brown. Small brown spots may be observed on both the hindwing and forewing of both sexes although to a varying degree. Females may be darker brown overall with pale checkered markings on the hindwing. Fiery skipper larvae, or caterpillars, are greenish pink-grey with a black head and constricted neck. These larvae are often considered pests and can feed on Bermudagrass, creeping bentgrass, and St. Augustine grass.
Phylogenetic and genetic analysis of the fiery skipper revealed three haplotypes (HphH1, HphH26, and HphH31) to be shared in roughly 64.1% of all sampled individuals. Due to this high percentage, these haplotypes likely serve as central haplotypes from which different variations via mutations occurred. Haplotypes HphH22 and HphH23 were found in addition to HphH1, HphH26, and HphH31 to occur in species across all continents with certain haplotypes being prominent in different regions. More variation in haplotype may be observed in South America, suggesting populations may be larger and contain more diversity when compared to those of North America. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Congaree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Bahía de Loreto National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 3 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | El Palmar National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 5 | Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 6 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 14 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mesa | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Tijuana | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 3 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Buenos Aires | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 7 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Rosario | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 10 | Sacramento | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Fiery Skipper sighting in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park on a given day, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 188th most-seen of the 431 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.
August, October and December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Fiery Skipper in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January–July, September and November, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Fiery Skipper sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
14th of 14
Of the 14 parks where we can rate Fiery Skipper sightings, Cumbres de Monterrey National Park ranks 14th at about 10%. The best odds are in Congaree National Park (United States, about 20%), Bahía de Loreto National Park (Mexico, about 20%) and Point Pelee National Park (Canada, about 20%).
Same family: Hesperiidae
The closest relatives of the Fiery Skipper that you can see in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park (family Hesperiidae, Skippers) are Southern Sicklewing (about 20%), Chisos Banded-Skipper (about 10%) and Rainbow Skipper (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Fiery Skipper is recorded against all the insects logged in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park (14 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
