Leaden Hairtail

Leaden Hairtail

Anthene amarah

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at iSimangaliso Wetland Park

In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%

26 Verified sightings at iSimangaliso Wetland Park From 2019 to 2026
251 In all 6 parks
March Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Leaden Hairtail

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 →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 uMkhuze Game Reserve 🇿🇦 South Africa
~30%
2 Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
3 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
4 Pilanesberg National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
5 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
6 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Pretoria 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Leaden Hairtail in iSimangaliso Wetland Park?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Leaden Hairtail sighting in iSimangaliso Wetland Park on a given day, based on 26 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 92nd most-seen of the 316 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Leaden Hairtail in iSimangaliso Wetland Park?

March and April

In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Leaden Hairtail in iSimangaliso Wetland Park on a given day, against under 5% in May–June and August–November, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Leaden Hairtail?

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.

Is iSimangaliso Wetland Park the best place to see a Leaden Hairtail?

6th of 6

Of the 6 parks where we can rate Leaden Hairtail sightings, iSimangaliso Wetland Park ranks 6th at about 10%. The best odds are in uMkhuze Game Reserve (South Africa, about 30%), Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park (South Africa, about 10%) and Kruger National Park (South Africa, about 10%).

Where does the Leaden Hairtail sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Leaden Hairtail is recorded against all the insects logged in iSimangaliso Wetland Park (26 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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