Castalius melaena
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Tuxentius melaena, the black pie or dark pied Pierrot, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Africa. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Pilanesberg National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Castalius melaena sighting in Pilanesberg National Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 28th most-seen of the 39 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Castalius melaena in Pilanesberg National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January–June and August–October, the lowest months. That is one of Pilanesberg National Park's driest months, with about 5 mm of rain against 130 mm in December.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Castalius melaena 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 3 parks where we can rate Castalius melaena sightings, Pilanesberg National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park (South Africa, about 10%).
Same family: Lycaenidae
The closest relatives of the Castalius melaena that you can see in Pilanesberg National Park (family Lycaenidae, Gossamer-winged Butterflies) are Leaden Hairtail (about 10%), Cupreous Blue (about 10%) and African Babul Blue (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Castalius melaena is recorded against all the insects logged in Pilanesberg National Park (6 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.
