Eicochrysops messapus
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Eicochrysops messapus, the cupreous blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Africa. In South Africa it is rare and only known from the northern part of the Limpopo province and northern KwaZulu-Natal.
The wingspan is 17–22 mm for males and 17–24 mm for females. Adults are on wing year-round in warmer areas, with peaks in October and March. In cooler areas it is not found from April to September. The larvae probably feed on Thesium species. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilanesberg National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Cupreous Blue sighting in Table Mountain National Park on a given day, based on 22 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 138th most-seen of the 344 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February–March and July
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Cupreous Blue in Table Mountain National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April–June and August–January, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Cupreous Blue sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Cupreous Blue sightings, Table Mountain National Park ranks 4th at under 5%. The best odds are in Pilanesberg National Park (South Africa, about 10%), iSimangaliso Wetland Park (South Africa, about 10%) and Garden Route National Park (South Africa, under 5%).
Same family: Lycaenidae
The closest relatives of the Cupreous Blue that you can see in Table Mountain National Park (family Lycaenidae, Gossamer-winged Butterflies) are African Grass Blue (about 10%), Water Geranium Bronze (about 10%) and Geranium Bronze (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Cupreous Blue is recorded against all the insects logged in Table Mountain National Park (22 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.
