Anthene amarah
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~60%
Anthene amarah, the black-striped hairtail, leaden hairtail or leaden ciliate blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in tropical Africa and Arabia (up to Aqaba). The habitat consists of savanna and occasionally open areas in the forest zone.
The wingspan is 21–26 mm for males and 23–29 mm for females. Adults are on wing year-round, with a peak in summer. The larvae feed on Acacia species, including and Acacia karroo, Acacia sieberana, and Vachellia gerrardi. They are associated with a number of ants, including Crematogaster bequaerti var. saga, Lepisiota affinis, Camponotus, and Myrmicaria species. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | uMkhuze Game Reserve | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Pilanesberg National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 6 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pretoria | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Leaden Hairtail sighting in Pilanesberg National Park on a given day, based on 16 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 12th most-seen of the 39 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Leaden Hairtail in Pilanesberg National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March, June, August–October and December, the lowest months. That is one of Pilanesberg National Park's wettest months, with about 90 mm of rain against almost none in August.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Leaden Hairtail sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 6
Of the 6 parks where we can rate Leaden Hairtail sightings, Pilanesberg National Park ranks 4th at about 10%. The best odds are in uMkhuze Game Reserve (South Africa, about 30%), Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park (South Africa, about 10%) and Kruger National Park (South Africa, about 10%).
Same family: Lycaenidae
The closest relatives of the Leaden Hairtail that you can see in Pilanesberg National Park (family Lycaenidae, Gossamer-winged Butterflies) are Cupreous Blue (about 10%), African Babul Blue (about 10%) and Castalius melaena (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Leaden Hairtail is recorded against all the insects logged in Pilanesberg National Park (16 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.
