Orange Daggerwing

Orange Daggerwing

Marpesia berania

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Darién National Park

In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%

6 Verified sightings at Darién National Park From 2019 to 2026
163 In all 15 parks
August Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Orange Daggerwing

Marpesia berania, the amber daggerwing, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. The species was first described by William Chapman Hewitson in 1852. They are a brightly colored, Neotropical butterfly with a unique wing shape, found in Central and northern South America. The amber daggerwing exhibits several interesting characteristics varying from their unusual behavior to their physical traits that make them so distinct.

The genus name Marpesia is derived from Marpess, the wife of Idas, a mortal who decided to go against Apollo when he carried off Marpessa /ˌmɑːrˈpɛsə/ (Ancient Greek: Μάρπησσα). The derivation of berania is not known. The distribution range for Marpesia berania is largely in the Neotropical realm, branching out to Central America and northern South America. Countries inhabited by this species include Mexico, Honduras, Costa Rica, Brazil, Peru, Colombia and Bolivia. These butterflies are considered to be a commonly found species in Honduras and in Peru. M. berania is found in the tropical rainforests and lowlands of these regions. They are considered to be closely allied or related to the Cyrestis (mapwing butterflies) and Chersonesia... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Tayrona National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~30%
2 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
3 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~20%
4 Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~20%
5 Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
6 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
7 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
~10%
8 Lago de Yojoa 🇭🇳 Honduras
~10%
9 Yasuní National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~10%
10 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
11 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
12 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
13 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
~10%
14 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
15 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing an Orange Daggerwing in Darién National Park?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report an Orange Daggerwing sighting in Darién National Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 10th most-seen of the 16 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see an Orange Daggerwing in Darién National Park?

January and August

In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report an Orange Daggerwing in Darién National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March–April, July and November–December, the lowest months. September has too few records to rate.

What time of day is best to see an Orange Daggerwing?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Orange Daggerwing sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Darién National Park the best place to see an Orange Daggerwing?

3rd of 15

Of the 15 parks where we can rate Orange Daggerwing sightings, Darién National Park ranks 3rd at about 20%. The best odds are in Tayrona National Natural Park (Colombia, about 30%) and Corcovado National Park (Costa Rica, about 20%).

Which relatives of the Orange Daggerwing live in Darién National Park?

Same family: Nymphalidae

The closest relatives of the Orange Daggerwing that you can see in Darién National Park (family Nymphalidae, Brush-footed Butterflies) are Moon Satyr (about 30%), Banded Peacock (about 30%) and Rusted Clearwing-Satyr (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Orange Daggerwing sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Orange Daggerwing is recorded against all the insects logged in Darién National Park (6 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.

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