Dorantes Longtail

Dorantes Longtail

Urbanus dorantes

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Galápagos Islands

In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%

149 Verified sightings at Galápagos Islands From 2019 to 2026
413 In all 13 parks
April Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Dorantes Longtail

Cecropterus dorantes, the lilac-banded longtail or Dorantes longtail, is a species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found from Argentina, north through Central America, Mexico, and the West Indies to southern Texas and peninsular Florida. Strays can be found as far north as northern California, southern Arizona, southern Missouri and North Carolina.

The wingspan is 37–51 mm. There are three to four generations throughout the year in southern Florida and southern Texas. The larvae feed on various legumes, including wild and cultivated Phaseolus species, Desmodium and blue peas Clitoria. Adults feed on flower nectar from various plants, including shepherd's needle, lantana, trilisa, ironweed, and bougainvillea.

Cecropterus dorantes galapagensis (Galapagos) Cecropterus dorantes calafia (Mexico (Baja California)) Cecropterus dorantes cramptoni (Antilles, Puerto... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Cabo Pulmo National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~40%
2 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~30%
3 Galápagos Islands 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~20%
4 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
5 Masaya Volcano National Park 🇳🇮 Nicaragua
~20%
6 Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
7 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
8 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
9 Iguazú National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~10%
10 Cumbres de Monterrey National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
11 Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
12 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
13 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Toluca 🇲🇽 México
~20%
2 Puebla 🇲🇽 México
~20%
3 Guadalajara 🇲🇽 México
~20%
4 Mexico City 🇲🇽 México
~20%
5 Porto Alegre 🇧🇷 Brazil
~20%
6 Vitória 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
7 San Luis Potosí 🇲🇽 México
~10%
8 Fortaleza 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
9 Managua 🇳🇮 Nicaragua
~10%
10 León 🇲🇽 México
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Dorantes Longtail in Galápagos Islands?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Dorantes Longtail sighting in Galápagos Islands on a given day, based on 149 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 8th most-seen of the 83 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.

When is the best time to see a Dorantes Longtail in Galápagos Islands?

April

In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Dorantes Longtail in Galápagos Islands on a given day, against about 10% in January, March, July and September–October, the lowest months. That is one of Galápagos Islands's wettest months, with about 35 mm of rain against almost none in August.

What time of day is best to see a Dorantes Longtail?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Dorantes Longtail 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 Galápagos Islands the best place to see a Dorantes Longtail?

3rd of 13

Of the 13 parks where we can rate Dorantes Longtail sightings, Galápagos Islands ranks 3rd at about 20%. The best odds are in Cabo Pulmo National Park (Mexico, about 40%) and Bahía de Loreto National Park (Mexico, about 30%).

Which relatives of the Dorantes Longtail live in Galápagos Islands?

Same order: Lepidoptera

The closest relatives of the Dorantes Longtail that you can see in Galápagos Islands (order Lepidoptera, Butterflies and Moths) are Ramon Blue (about 20%), Monarch (about 20%) and Rustic Sphinx (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Dorantes Longtail sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Dorantes Longtail is recorded against all the insects logged in Galápagos Islands (149 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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