African Migrant

African Migrant

Catopsilia florella

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
at Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%

49 Verified sightings at Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park From 2019 to 2026
302 In all 12 parks
March Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the African Migrant

Catopsilia florella, the African migrant, African emigrant, or common vagrant, is a butterfly of the family Pieridae. It is found in Africa (including Madagascar), Arabia (United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman) and the Canary Islands. Like Catopsilia pomona, this species also has a habit of migration. Many early authors mentioned the presence of this species in Asia; but those were probably due to confusion arises as Catopsilia pyranthe females exhibit a lot of seasonal variations. Catopsilia florella is not included as a species in India in any recent checklists.

The wingspan is 54–60 mm for males and 56–66 mm for females. Adults are on wing year-round. From South Africa, adults migrate from summer to autumn. They fly in a north-eastern direction. The larvae feed on Senna occidentalis, Senna septentrionalis, Senna petersiana, Senna italica, Cassia javanica, and Cassia fistula. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~30%
2 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~30%
3 Gorongosa National Park 🇲🇿 Mozambique
~20%
4 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~20%
5 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
6 Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
7 Etosha National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
~10%
8 Pilanesberg National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
9 Namib-Naukluft National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
~10%
10 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
11 Garden Route National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
12 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Accra 🇬🇭 Ghana
~30%
2 Kigali 🇷🇼 Rwanda
~30%
3 Ouagadougou 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso
~20%
4 Lusaka 🇿🇲 Zambia
~20%
5 Pretoria 🇿🇦 South Africa
~20%
6 Cairo 🇪🇬 Egypt
~20%
7 Antananarivo 🇲🇬 Madagascar
~20%
8 Nairobi 🇰🇪 Kenya
~20%
9 Johannesburg 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
10 Kampala 🇺🇬 Uganda
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing an African Migrant in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park?

Possible

About 30% of wildlife watchers report an African Migrant sighting in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park on a given day, based on 49 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 3rd most-seen of the 31 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see an African Migrant in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park?

March

In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report an African Migrant in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park on a given day, against under 5% in June–September and November, the lowest months. That is one of Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park's wettest months, with about 25 mm of rain against almost none in July.

What time of day is best to see an African Migrant?

Between noon and 3 pm

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

Is Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park the best place to see an African Migrant?

Yes

Of the 12 parks where we can rate African Migrant sightings, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park has the highest daily chance: about 30%. Next come Gonarezhou National Park (Zimbabwe, about 30%) and Gorongosa National Park (Mozambique, about 20%).

Which relatives of the African Migrant live in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park?

Same family: Pieridae

The closest relatives of the African Migrant that you can see in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (family Pieridae, Whites, Yellows, and Sulphurs) are Pioneer White (about 30%), Zebra White (about 20%) and Speckled Sulphur Tip (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the African Migrant sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the African Migrant is recorded against all the insects logged in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (49 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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