Chlosyne janais
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
Chlosyne janais, the crimson patch or janais patch, is a common New World butterfly found from Colombia north through Central America and Mexico to southern Texas, with occasional sightings in southeastern Mexico and northern Texas. The dorsal and ventral wing surface is black with several undulating rows of small white spots on the medial forewings and along all outer wing margins. On each dorsal hindwing is a medial orange-red patch situated anteriorly. The ventral hindwings have a fragmented yellow proximal patch bordered by a thick postmedial band of red that does not reach the wing margins; maximum wingspan is 4.8–6.7 cm.
Adults inhabit the periphery of lowland tropical to subtropical forests, fields, and along streams, where they feed on flower nectar. Reproduction is continuous in the tropics, whereas in temperate areas several broods are produced from July to November. The caterpillars are grey white to green with several transverse rows of fleshly black spines; they feed primarily on acanthus shrubs, especially Anisacanthus wrightii and Odontonema callistachus (in Texas), upon which adult females lay their eggs.
The crimson patch can reach high numbers in the Rio Grande Valley, but the population is periodically killed off by cold snaps; the area is then recolonized by members of the Mexican population. A very similar species is the rosita patch (C. rosita), which is distinguished from the crimson patch by the former's lack of spots on the wing margins. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tikal National Park | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | |
| 2 | Lago de Yojoa | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 3 | Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 4 | Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 5 | Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 6 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 7 | Cañón del Sumidero National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 8 | Carara National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 9 | Cahuita National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 10 | La Amistad International Park (Panama) | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 11 | Braulio Carrillo National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 12 | Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San José | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 2 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 3 | San Salvador | 🇸🇻 El Salvador | |
| 4 | Puebla | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 5 | Monterrey | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 6 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Panama City | 🇵🇦 Panama |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Crimson Patch sighting in Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 4th most-seen of the 7 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July
In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Crimson Patch in Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in September to May, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Crimson Patch sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 12
Of the 12 parks where we can rate Crimson Patch sightings, Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve ranks 3rd at about 20%. The best odds are in Tikal National Park (Guatemala, about 30%) and Lago de Yojoa (Honduras, about 20%).
Same family: Nymphalidae
The closest relatives of the Crimson Patch that you can see in Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve (family Nymphalidae, Brush-footed Butterflies) are Banded Peacock (about 30%), Many-Banded Daggerwing (about 30%) and Julia Heliconian (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Crimson Patch is recorded against all the insects logged in Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve (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.
