Anthene amarah
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Anthene amarah, the black-striped hairtail, leaden hairtail or leaden ciliate blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in tropical Africa and Arabia (up to Aqaba). The habitat consists of savanna and occasionally open areas in the forest zone.
The wingspan is 21–26 mm for males and 23–29 mm for females. Adults are on wing year-round, with a peak in summer. The larvae feed on Acacia species, including and Acacia karroo, Acacia sieberana, and Vachellia gerrardi. They are associated with a number of ants, including Crematogaster bequaerti var. saga, Lepisiota affinis, Camponotus, and Myrmicaria species. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | uMkhuze Game Reserve | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Pilanesberg National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 6 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pretoria | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Leaden Hairtail sighting in Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park on a given day, based on 22 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 12th most-seen of the 44 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.
April and May
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Leaden Hairtail in Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park on a given day, against under 5% in June to November, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Leaden Hairtail sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 6
Of the 6 parks where we can rate Leaden Hairtail sightings, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in uMkhuze Game Reserve (South Africa, about 30%).
Same family: Lycaenidae
The closest relatives of the Leaden Hairtail that you can see in Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park (family Lycaenidae, Gossamer-winged Butterflies) are Common Hairstreak (about 10%), Castalius melaena (about 10%) and Axiocerses perion (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Leaden Hairtail is recorded against all the insects logged in Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park (22 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.
