Sara Orangetip

Sara Orangetip

Anthocharis sara

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Joshua Tree National Park

In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%

86 Verified sightings at Joshua Tree National Park From 2019 to 2026
120 In all 3 parks
April Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Sara Orangetip

Anthocharis sara, the Sara orangetip, is one of three species in the Sara orangetip complex. It has a population extending from Baja California into extreme southwest Oregon and another extending from the east slope of the Sierra Nevada into far western Nevada. The common name Pacific orangetip is obsolete since it implies a distribution that includes two separate species.

Anthocharis sara is part of the Anthocharis sara complex, along with the southwestern orangetip (Anthocharis thoosa) and Julia orangetip (Anthocharis julia). Some have been spotted in the Grand Tetons Nation Park in June 2025. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
2 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 San Diego 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
2 Los Angeles 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
3 San Francisco 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Sara Orangetip in Joshua Tree National Park?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Sara Orangetip sighting in Joshua Tree National Park on a given day, based on 86 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 26th most-seen of the 190 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Sara Orangetip in Joshua Tree National Park?

February to April

In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Sara Orangetip in Joshua Tree National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June to December, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Sara Orangetip?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

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

Is Joshua Tree National Park the best place to see a Sara Orangetip?

Yes

Of the 3 parks where we can rate Sara Orangetip sightings, Joshua Tree National Park has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Channel Islands National Park (United States, about 10%) and Yosemite National Park (United States, under 5%).

Where does the Sara Orangetip sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Sara Orangetip is recorded against all the insects logged in Joshua Tree National Park (86 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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