Catacroptera cloanthe
In 3 days ~70% in a week >90%
Catacroptera is a monotypic butterfly genus of the subfamily Nymphalinae in the family Nymphalidae found in sub-Saharan Africa. The habitat consists of grassland and savanna. Adults are on wing year round, but from September to April in cooler areas.
The larvae feed on Justicia protracta, Barleria stuhlmanni, Ruellia cordata, Asystasia gangetica, Barleria opaca, Ruellia togoensis, Chaetacanthus setiger, Asclepias and Phaulopsis species. C. c. subsp. cloanthe – East and southern Africa: Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Eswatini, South Africa (Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Western Cape)
Bode, J. (2012), Pirate & Joker Sap Sucking, feeding on sap of Ziziphus mucronata tree, YouTube video Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Golden Gate Highlands National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Nairobi National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Pirate sighting in Golden Gate Highlands National Park on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 2nd most-seen of the 11 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January
In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Pirate in Golden Gate Highlands National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March, October and December, the lowest months. That is one of Golden Gate Highlands National Park's wettest months, with about 130 mm of rain against 15 mm in June.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Pirate sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Pirate sightings, Golden Gate Highlands National Park has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Nairobi National Park (Kenya, about 10%).
Same family: Nymphalidae
The closest relatives of the Pirate that you can see in Golden Gate Highlands National Park (family Nymphalidae, Brush-footed Butterflies) are Garden Acraea (about 40%), Yellow Pansy (about 30%) and Plain Tiger Butterfly (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Pirate is recorded against all the insects logged in Golden Gate Highlands National Park (12 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.
