Silhouette: Mattia Menchetti · PhyloPic
Aphnaeus phanes
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Cigaritis phanes, the silvery bar, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in south-west Africa, including Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa. In South Africa it is found from north-western KwaZulu-Natal to the northern part of the Free State, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, North West and Northern Cape. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Aphnaeus phanes sighting in Kruger National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 656th most-seen of the 748 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
November and December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Aphnaeus phanes in Kruger National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January to October, the lowest months. Those are among Kruger National Park's wettest months, with about 75 mm of rain a month against almost none in August.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Aphnaeus phanes sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Aphnaeus phanes sightings, Kruger National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (South Africa, about 10%).
Same family: Lycaenidae
The closest relatives of the Aphnaeus phanes that you can see in Kruger National Park (family Lycaenidae, Gossamer-winged Butterflies) are Leaden Hairtail (about 10%), Axiocerses perion (about 10%) and African Grass Blue (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Aphnaeus phanes is recorded against all the insects logged in Kruger National Park (5 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.
