Hylephila phyleus
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
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 |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Fiery Skipper sighting in El Palmar National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 28th most-seen of the 35 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Fiery Skipper in El Palmar National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May–August and October–January, 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.
Among the best
Of the 14 parks where we can rate Fiery Skipper sightings, El Palmar National Park ranks 4th at about 20%, level with the leaders once rounded. 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 El Palmar National Park (family Hesperiidae, Skippers) are Tropical Checkered-Skipper (about 20%), Burnsius orcynoides (about 20%) and Southern Guava Skipper (about 20%), 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 El Palmar National Park (5 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.
