Eumaeus atala
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Eumaeus atala, also known as the Atala butterfly or coontie hairstreak, is a small colorful butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in southeastern Florida (including the Florida Keys) in the United States, Cuba, the Bahamas, and the Cayman Islands in the West Indies. Its coloration and habits are unique among butterflies within its range.
The species was first described by the Cuban zoologist Felipe Poey. He named the butterfly for Atala, the Native American heroine of an 1801 French novella (Atala, ou Les Amours de deux sauvages dans le desert or in English: "Atala, or the Loves of two Indian savages in the desert") of the same name that was written by Chateaubriand.
Throughout its range, the larvae feed on a native cycad, Zamia integrifolia (commonly called "coontie palm" or "arrowhead"), as well as Zamia pumila and other exotic ornamental cycads. In Cuba, the introduced cycad Cycas revoluta also is eaten by this species.
Adult butterflies take flower nectar and sometimes roost in trees. Adults fly through much of the year. The natural habitat is open brushy areas and tropical hammocks, often in pine woodlands. Many populations now exist in suburban... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report an Atala sighting in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, based on 57 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 22nd most-seen of the 189 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.
July
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report an Atala in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, against under 5% in May, the lowest month. That is one of Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge's wettest months, with about 160 mm of rain against 50 mm in March.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Atala sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Atala sightings, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge ranks 2nd at about 20%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Everglades National Park (United States, about 20%).
Same family: Lycaenidae
The closest relatives of the Atala that you can see in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (family Lycaenidae, Gossamer-winged Butterflies) are Ceraunus Blue (about 30%), Eastern Pygmy-Blue (about 10%) and Red-Banded Hairstreak (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Atala is recorded against all the insects logged in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (57 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.
