Emerald-Patched Cattleheart

Emerald-Patched Cattleheart

Parides sesostris

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Tenorio Volcano National Park

In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%

8 Verified sightings at Tenorio Volcano National Park From 2019 to 2026
61 In all 6 parks
November Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Emerald-Patched Cattleheart

Parides sesostris, the emerald-patched cattleheart or southern cattleheart, is a species of butterfly in the family Papilionidae. Parides sesostris sesostris (Cramer, 1779) (Suriname to eastern Ecuador and south to northern Peru and Brazil)

Parides sesostris zischkai (Forster, 1955) (Bolivia) Parides sesostris has a wingspan reaching 100–110 millimetres (3.9–4.3 in). The head, the thorax and the abdomen are black. The basic color of the upperside of the forewings is black, with large green areas on the basal portion of the forewings. The underside of the forewings is dark brown. The underside of the hindwings is dark brown, with a chain of red spots on the outer edge. The hindwings are scalloped but they have no tails. The larvae feed on Aristolochia barbata, A. bicolor, A. grandiflora, A. sprucei, and A. trianae. It is not threatened.

P. sesostris. Forewing in the male... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
2 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
~10%
3 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
~10%
4 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
5 Parque Natural Metropolitano 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
6 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing an Emerald-Patched Cattleheart in Tenorio Volcano National Park?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Emerald-Patched Cattleheart sighting in Tenorio Volcano National Park on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 42nd most-seen of the 98 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see an Emerald-Patched Cattleheart in Tenorio Volcano National Park?

November and December

In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report an Emerald-Patched Cattleheart in Tenorio Volcano National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January, March, May–July and September–October, the lowest months. Those are among Tenorio Volcano National Park's wettest months, with about 410 mm of rain a month against 120 mm in April.

What time of day is best to see an Emerald-Patched Cattleheart?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Emerald-Patched Cattleheart 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 Tenorio Volcano National Park the best place to see an Emerald-Patched Cattleheart?

Yes

Of the 6 parks where we can rate Emerald-Patched Cattleheart sightings, Tenorio Volcano National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Tambopata National Reserve (Peru, about 10%) and Manu National Park (Peru, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Emerald-Patched Cattleheart live in Tenorio Volcano National Park?

Same genus: Parides

The closest relatives of the Emerald-Patched Cattleheart that you can see in Tenorio Volcano National Park (genus Parides, Cattlehearts) are True Cattleheart (about 10%) and Iphidamas Cattleheart (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Emerald-Patched Cattleheart sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Emerald-Patched Cattleheart is recorded against all the insects logged in Tenorio Volcano National Park (8 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 Tenorio Volcano National Park