Hypolycaena philippus
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Hypolycaena philippus, the purple-brown hairstreak or common hairstreak, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is native to sub-Saharan Africa where it is commonly found in wooded locations. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | uMkhuze Game Reserve | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Common Hairstreak sighting in uMkhuze Game Reserve on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 33rd most-seen of the 59 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 40% of wildlife watchers report a Common Hairstreak in uMkhuze Game Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in April and June–November, the lowest months. That is one of uMkhuze Game Reserve's wettest months, with about 120 mm of rain against 15 mm in July.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Hairstreak sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Common Hairstreak sightings, uMkhuze Game Reserve ranks 2nd at about 20%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in iSimangaliso Wetland Park (South Africa, about 20%).
Same family: Lycaenidae
The closest relatives of the Common Hairstreak that you can see in uMkhuze Game Reserve (family Lycaenidae, Gossamer-winged Butterflies) are Leaden Hairtail (about 30%), Axiocerses perion (about 20%) and Dusky Russet (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Common Hairstreak is recorded against all the insects logged in uMkhuze Game Reserve (7 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.
