Urbanus dorantes
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Cecropterus dorantes, the lilac-banded longtail or Dorantes longtail, is a species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found from Argentina, north through Central America, Mexico, and the West Indies to southern Texas and peninsular Florida. Strays can be found as far north as northern California, southern Arizona, southern Missouri and North Carolina.
The wingspan is 37–51 mm. There are three to four generations throughout the year in southern Florida and southern Texas. The larvae feed on various legumes, including wild and cultivated Phaseolus species, Desmodium and blue peas Clitoria. Adults feed on flower nectar from various plants, including shepherd's needle, lantana, trilisa, ironweed, and bougainvillea.
Cecropterus dorantes galapagensis (Galapagos) Cecropterus dorantes calafia (Mexico (Baja California)) Cecropterus dorantes cramptoni (Antilles, Puerto... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cabo Pulmo National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Bahía de Loreto National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 3 | Galápagos Islands | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 4 | Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 5 | Masaya Volcano National Park | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | |
| 6 | Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 7 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Iguazú National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 10 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 11 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Arenal Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toluca | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 2 | Puebla | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 3 | Guadalajara | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 4 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 5 | Porto Alegre | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 6 | Vitória | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 7 | San Luis Potosí | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 8 | Fortaleza | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 9 | Managua | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | |
| 10 | León | 🇲🇽 México |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Dorantes Longtail sighting in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 150th most-seen of the 189 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October to January
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Dorantes Longtail in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, against under 5% in February to September, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Dorantes Longtail sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
11th of 13
Of the 13 parks where we can rate Dorantes Longtail sightings, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge ranks 11th at about 10%. The best odds are in Cabo Pulmo National Park (Mexico, about 40%), Bahía de Loreto National Park (Mexico, about 30%) and Galápagos Islands (Ecuador, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Dorantes Longtail is recorded against all the insects logged in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (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.
