Pontia sisymbrii
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Pontia sisymbrii, the spring white, California white, or Colorado white, is a butterfly in the family Pieridae. It is found in mountainous areas of western Canada and the United States. It is mostly white with small black markings; females may be yellowish. Similar to other checkered whites such as, Pontia beckerii, Pontia protodice, and Pontia occidentalis.
The wingspan is 31 to 40 millimeters. The host plants are in Brassicaceae (the mustard family) and include Caulanthus, Streptanthus, and Sisymbrium altissimum, Arabis glabra, Arabis furcata, and Arabis holboelli. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Grand Canyon National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Olympic National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Spring White sighting in Grand Canyon National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 95th most-seen of the 143 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Spring White in Grand Canyon National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June to February, the lowest months. That is one of Grand Canyon National Park's wettest months, with about 40 mm of rain against almost none in June.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Spring White 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 3 parks where we can rate Spring White sightings, Grand Canyon National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Joshua Tree National Park (United States, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Spring White is recorded against all the insects logged in Grand Canyon National Park (7 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.
