Papilio garamas
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Papilio garamas, commonly known as the mexico phoenix or magnificent swallowtail, is a species of Neotropical swallowtail butterfly found in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama and Costa Rica. A large butterfly with a wingspan of 80 to 110 millimetres. The females are dimorphic, either resembling the male or dark forms lacking the cream median and postdiscal bands, contrasting with deep black ground colour.
Papilio garamas is a member of the homerus species group. The members of this clade are: Papilio cacicus Lucas, 1852 Papilio euterpinus... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 3 | Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toluca | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 2 | Puebla | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 3 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 4 | León | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 5 | San Luis Potosí | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 6 | Guadalajara | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 7 | Monterrey | 🇲🇽 México |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Magnificent Swallowtail sighting in Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 12th most-seen of the 21 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Magnificent Swallowtail in Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca on a given day, against under 5% in January, March, June, August and October–November, the lowest months. That is one of Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca's driest months, with about 40 mm of rain against 270 mm in July.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Magnificent Swallowtail sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Magnificent Swallowtail sightings, Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Cumbres de Monterrey National Park (Mexico, about 10%) and Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve (Costa Rica, about 10%).
Same order: Lepidoptera
The closest relatives of the Magnificent Swallowtail that you can see in Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca (order Lepidoptera, Butterflies and Moths) are Monarch (about 90%), Princely Tiger Moth (about 60%) and Pure-Banded Dartwhite (about 40%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Magnificent Swallowtail is recorded against all the insects logged in Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca (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.
