Aloeides pierus
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Aloeides pierus, the dull copper, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa, where it is found in the Western, Northern and Eastern Cape, as well as the Free State. This butterfly species inhabits grassy areas with bare patches, such as grassy fynbos in the western and eastern cape, or highvield grasslands in other provinces.
The wingspan is 25–30 mm (0.98–1.18 in). Adults are on wing from September to April, with peaks in October and February. There are multiple generations per year. There are 12 veins on forewing, while hindwing lacks tail.
The males of Aloeidis exhibit territorial behavior, claiming specific areas on road verges and unsurfaced roads where they can counter females and mate. Chinitinous spicules are present at the distal end of tibia in a f-f-a configuration, with a well-developed spur at the lower extremities. Males have a sharp foretarsal claw. A. pierus feature long palpi, a robust thorax, and a mesofur almost twice the length of tibia. Females lack dense tuft of specialized scales on their abdomen.
The genitalia are very similar among species of this genus, and not very useful when distinguishing. The uncus is in the... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cape Town | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Veined Russet sighting in Table Mountain National Park on a given day, based on 26 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 153rd 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 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February–March, October and December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Veined Russet in Table Mountain National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January, April–September and November, the lowest months. Those are among Table Mountain National Park's driest months, with about 25 mm of rain a month against 110 mm in June.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Veined Russet sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Veined Russet sightings, Table Mountain National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Addo Elephant National Park (South Africa, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Veined Russet is recorded against all the insects logged in Table Mountain National Park (26 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.
