Aloeides damarensis
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Aloeides damarensis, the Damara copper, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae from Southern Africa. This butterfly populates grassy areas with bare patches, such as grassy fynbos in coastal KwaZulu-Natal to the Drakensberg, north into Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces.
The wingspan is 25–32 mm for males and 28–36 mm for females. Adults are on wing from September to April in the southern part of the range and year-round in the north. The males of Aloeidis exhibit territorial behavior, claiming specific areas on road verges and unsurfaced roads where they can counter females and mate.
A. damarensis show variable coloration and pattern, ranging from medium to light orange specimens with reduced upperside black markings. The female lays eggs at the base of Waltheria indica. Along with being a host plant, it also serves as a nectar source for adults. Eggs are blue in color.
The larvae feed on Aspalathus species, and are tended by Pheidole ants, that build colonies at the base of host plant. Aloeides damarensis damarensis South Africa (Western, Northern and Eastern Cape and south-western Free State), Namibia.
Aloeides damarensis... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Damara Copper sighting in Kruger National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 519th 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.
February to April
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Damara Copper in Kruger National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May to January, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Damara Copper sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Only Kruger National Park, in our data
Kruger National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Damara Copper sightings: under 5% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Damara Copper is recorded against all the insects logged in Kruger 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.
