Spotted Sailer

Spotted Sailer

Neptis saclava

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
at Gonarezhou National Park

In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%

8 Verified sightings at Gonarezhou National Park From 2019 to 2026
65 In all 4 parks
May Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Spotted Sailer

Neptis saclava, the spotted sailer, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is native to Madagascar and to large areas of sub-Saharan Africa. Its wingspan is 40–45 mm in males and 45–48 mm in females The hindwing beneath at the base with whitish ground-colour and numerous irregular light red-brown spots, more or less joined together; cell of the forewing above unicolorous or with small white dots, beneath white with irregular light red-brown markings; discal spot 4 of the forewing is absent or very small, dot-like; the hindmarginal spot of the forewing is. large and touches the spot in cellule 2 or is only narrowly separated from it; the median band of the hindwing is 4—-7 mm. in breadth. Madagascar

Images BOLD Adults are on the wing year round with a peak from December to May. The larvae feed on Acalypha glabrata, Combretum bracteosum, Ricinus communis, Australina, and Pilea. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~30%
2 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
3 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
4 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Nairobi 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
2 Durban 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
3 Lusaka 🇿🇲 Zambia
~10%
4 Johannesburg 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Spotted Sailer in Gonarezhou National Park?

Possible

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Spotted Sailer sighting in Gonarezhou National Park on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 4th most-seen of the 31 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Spotted Sailer in Gonarezhou National Park?

March and May

In those months about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Spotted Sailer in Gonarezhou National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July to January, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Spotted Sailer?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Spotted Sailer sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Gonarezhou National Park the best place to see a Spotted Sailer?

Yes

Of the 4 parks where we can rate Spotted Sailer sightings, Gonarezhou National Park has the highest daily chance: about 30%. Next come Kruger National Park (South Africa, about 10%) and iSimangaliso Wetland Park (South Africa, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Spotted Sailer live in Gonarezhou National Park?

Same family: Nymphalidae

The closest relatives of the Spotted Sailer that you can see in Gonarezhou National Park (family Nymphalidae, Brush-footed Butterflies) are Dancing Amber (about 40%), Two-Tailed Pasha (about 30%) and White-Barred Emperor (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Spotted Sailer sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Spotted Sailer is recorded against all the insects logged in Gonarezhou National Park (8 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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