African Grass Blue

African Grass Blue

Zizeeria knysna

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
at South Luangwa National Park

In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%

17 Verified sightings at South Luangwa National Park From 2019 to 2026
622 In all 12 parks
September Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the African Grass Blue

Zizeeria knysna, the dark grass blue or African grass blue, is a species of blue butterfly (Lycaenidae) found in Africa, on Cyprus and the Iberian Peninsula. Sometimes mistakenly called Zizeeria lysimon (Hübner), that species name is invalid as it is preoccupied by Papilio lisimon Stoll, [1790], a butterfly in the family Riodinidae.

The wingspan is 18–23 mm for males and 21–26 mm for females. The butterfly flies nearly year-round. The larvae feed on Medicago, Melilotus, Acanthyllis, Armeria delicatula, Polygonum equisetiforme, Tribulus terrestris and Oxalis.

Butterflies of Europe[link removed] Zizeeria at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 South Luangwa National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
~40%
2 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~30%
3 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~20%
4 Gorongosa National Park 🇲🇿 Mozambique
~20%
5 Garden Route National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~20%
6 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~20%
7 Doñana National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~20%
8 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~10%
9 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
10 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
11 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
12 Sierra Nevada National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Lusaka 🇿🇲 Zambia
~90%
2 Kigali 🇷🇼 Rwanda
~50%
3 Antananarivo 🇲🇬 Madagascar
~40%
4 Accra 🇬🇭 Ghana
~20%
5 Johannesburg 🇿🇦 South Africa
~20%
6 Pretoria 🇿🇦 South Africa
~20%
7 Kampala 🇺🇬 Uganda
~20%
8 Serrekunda 🇬🇲 Gambia
~20%
9 Nairobi 🇰🇪 Kenya
~20%
10 Durban 🇿🇦 South Africa
~20%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing an African Grass Blue in South Luangwa National Park?

Likely

About 40% of wildlife watchers report an African Grass Blue sighting in South Luangwa National Park on a given day, based on 17 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the most-seen of the 9 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see an African Grass Blue in South Luangwa National Park?

July and September

In those months about 50% of wildlife watchers report an African Grass Blue in South Luangwa National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May, the lowest month. Those are among South Luangwa National Park's driest months, with almost no rain against 310 mm in January.

What time of day is best to see an African Grass Blue?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most African Grass Blue sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is South Luangwa National Park the best place to see an African Grass Blue?

Yes

Of the 12 parks where we can rate African Grass Blue sightings, South Luangwa National Park has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Gonarezhou National Park (Zimbabwe, about 30%) and iSimangaliso Wetland Park (South Africa, about 20%).

Which relatives of the African Grass Blue live in South Luangwa National Park?

Same order: Lepidoptera

The closest relatives of the African Grass Blue that you can see in South Luangwa National Park (order Lepidoptera, Butterflies and Moths) are Dancing Amber (about 20%), Crimson-Speckled Flunkey (about 20%) and Guineafowl Butterfly (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the African Grass Blue sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the African Grass Blue is recorded against all the insects logged in South Luangwa National Park (17 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.

← Back to South Luangwa National Park