Urbanus dorantes
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
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 |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Dorantes Longtail sighting in Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 44th most-seen of the 112 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Dorantes Longtail in Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in February–April, June–July and October, the lowest months. That is one of Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve's wettest months, with about 130 mm of rain against 20 mm in February.
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.
4th of 13
Of the 13 parks where we can rate Dorantes Longtail sightings, Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve ranks 4th at about 20%. 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%).
Same family: Hesperiidae
The closest relatives of the Dorantes Longtail that you can see in Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve (family Hesperiidae, Skippers) are Glassy-Winged Skipper (about 40%), Obscure Skipper (about 30%) and Whirlabout (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Dorantes Longtail is recorded against all the insects logged in Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve (13 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.
