Pyrgus oileus
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Burnsius oileus, the tropical checkered skipper, is a species of skipper (family Hesperiidae). It is found in the United States (Peninsular Florida, the Gulf Coast, and southern Texas), south through the West Indies, Mexico and Central America to Costa Rica. It was transferred to genus Burnsius in 2019, and was previously known as Pyrgus oileus.
The wingspan is 32–38 mm. There are four to five generations throughout the year in southern Texas and Florida. The larvae feed on several plants in the family Malvaceae, including Sida rhombifolia, Malva, Althaea rosea, Abutilon and Malvastrum. Adults feed on the nectar of the flowers of Sidas species and small-flowered composites such as shepherd's needles.
Burnsius oileus oileus Burnsius oileus syrichtus Butterflies and Moths of North America Archived 2010-06-20 at the Wayback Machine Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jaragua National Park | 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | |
| 2 | Los Haitises National Park | 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | |
| 3 | El Palmar National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 4 | Iberá National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 5 | Iguazú National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 6 | Caroni Swamp | 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago | |
| 7 | Iguaçu National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 8 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 10 | Congaree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Serra dos Órgãos National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 12 | Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 13 | Cañón del Sumidero National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 14 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 15 | Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santo Domingo | 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | |
| 2 | Valencia | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | |
| 3 | Caracas | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | |
| 4 | São Luís | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 5 | Salvador | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 6 | Campo Grande | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 7 | Porto Alegre | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 8 | Asuncion | 🇵🇾 Paraguay | |
| 9 | Santa Cruz de la Sierra | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 10 | Fortaleza | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Tropical Checkered-Skipper sighting in Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 60th 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.
February
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Tropical Checkered-Skipper in Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in March–August and December, the lowest months. That is one of Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve's driest months, with about 20 mm of rain against 150 mm in June.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Tropical Checkered-Skipper sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
9th of 15
Of the 15 parks where we can rate Tropical Checkered-Skipper sightings, Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve ranks 9th at about 10%. The best odds are in Jaragua National Park (Dominican Republic, about 40%), Los Haitises National Park (Dominican Republic, about 40%) and El Palmar National Park (Argentina, about 20%).
Same family: Hesperiidae
The closest relatives of the Tropical Checkered-Skipper 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 Tropical Checkered-Skipper is recorded against all the insects logged in Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve (10 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.
