Sarangesa phidyle
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Sarangesa phidyle, also known as the orange flat or small elfin, is a species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found from Botswana, south-west Africa, Saudi Arabia, Sudan. In South Africa it is found from the eastern Cape to Eswatini, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and the Limpopo Province, the North West Province and Gauteng.
The wingspan is 26–38 mm. Adults are on wing year-round, although they are scarcer in winter and the dry season. The larvae feed on Barleria and Peristrophe species (including Peristrophe hensii). Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 2 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Orange Elfin sighting in Etosha National Park on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 10th most-seen of the 21 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July and October
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report an Orange Elfin in Etosha National Park on a given day, against under 5% in November to June, the lowest months. Those are among Etosha National Park's driest months, with almost no rain against 75 mm in January.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Orange Elfin sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Orange Elfin sightings, Etosha National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Kruger National Park (South Africa, about 10%) and Addo Elephant National Park (South Africa, about 10%).
Same order: Lepidoptera
The closest relatives of the Orange Elfin that you can see in Etosha National Park (order Lepidoptera, Butterflies and Moths) are Veined Tip (about 20%), Two-Tailed Pasha (about 20%) and Pioneer White (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Orange Elfin is recorded against all the insects logged in Etosha National Park (9 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.
