Mimathyma ambica
In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%
Mimathyma ambica, the Indian purple emperor, is a species of nymphalid butterfly found in Asia. The upperside is brownish black; a broad white, inwardly angled, central band goes from vein 3 of the forewing to vein 1 of the hindwing. This band IS bordered broadly on both sides by iridescent blue and anteriorly meeting 3 white outwardly angled spots in interspaces 3, 4, 5.
Three preapical small spots and an obscure subterminal series of dots are on the fore, and a better defined, slightly curved, subterminal series of spots are on the hindwing, all white, also on the latter wing are one apical and one tornal fulvous-yellow spot.
The underside is pearly bluish white, the discal band and spots of the upperside showing through pinkish white, the discal spots and band on the forewing are bordered interiorly with black, and some black marks are in the cell.
On the forewing is an oblique somewhat wavy postdiscal, and a more even broad, rich brown terminal band. The former ends at the tornus in a yellowish-orange patch bearing a black spot with black outer markings. The latter is white-spotted at the tornal angle. The hindwing has postdiscal straight and terminal... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Namdapha National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 2 | Royal Manas National Park | 🇧🇹 Bhutan |
Likely
About 60% of wildlife watchers report an Indian Purple Emperor sighting in Namdapha National Park on a given day, based on 38 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 3rd most-seen of the 71 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April and October
In those months about 80% of wildlife watchers report an Indian Purple Emperor in Namdapha National Park on a given day, against about 10% in January and February, the lowest months. June to August have too few records to rate.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Indian Purple Emperor 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 2 parks where we can rate Indian Purple Emperor sightings, Namdapha National Park has the highest daily chance: about 60%. Next come Royal Manas National Park (Bhutan, about 30%).
Same family: Nymphalidae
The closest relatives of the Indian Purple Emperor that you can see in Namdapha National Park (family Nymphalidae, Brush-footed Butterflies) are Large Yeoman (about 60%), Popinjay (about 50%) and Common Maplet (about 50%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Indian Purple Emperor is recorded against all the insects logged in Namdapha National Park (38 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.
