Phoebis agarithe
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Phoebis agarithe, the large orange sulphur, is a butterfly in the family Pieridae. It is found from Peru north to southern Texas and peninsular Florida. Rare strays can be found up to Colorado, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and New Jersey. The species has also been introduced in Hawaii. The habitat consists of open, tropical lowlands including gardens, pastures, road edges, trails and parks.
The wingspan is 57–86 mm (2.2–3.4 in). Adults are on wing from August to September in southern Texas and all year round in the tropics. They feed on flower nectar, favoring lantana, shepherd's needle, bougainvillea, rose periwinkle, Turk's cap and hibiscus.
The larvae feed on fresh leaves of Pithecellobium and Inga species. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Bahía de Loreto National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 3 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 4 | Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 5 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 7 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Calakmul Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 9 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monterrey | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 2 | Torreón | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 3 | Tijuana | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 4 | Guadalajara | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 5 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | San Luis Potosí | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 7 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Phoenix | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Large Orange Sulphur sighting in Joshua Tree National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 131st most-seen of the 190 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October to February
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Large Orange Sulphur in Joshua Tree National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March to September, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Large Orange Sulphur sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
9th of 10
Of the 10 parks where we can rate Large Orange Sulphur sightings, Joshua Tree National Park ranks 9th at about 10%. The best odds are in Everglades National Park (United States, about 30%), Bahía de Loreto National Park (Mexico, about 20%) and Cumbres de Monterrey National Park (Mexico, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Large Orange Sulphur is recorded against all the insects logged in Joshua Tree 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.
