Anthene amarah
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%
Anthene amarah, the black-striped hairtail, leaden hairtail or leaden ciliate blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in tropical Africa and Arabia (up to Aqaba). The habitat consists of savanna and occasionally open areas in the forest zone.
The wingspan is 21–26 mm for males and 23–29 mm for females. Adults are on wing year-round, with a peak in summer. The larvae feed on Acacia species, including and Acacia karroo, Acacia sieberana, and Vachellia gerrardi. They are associated with a number of ants, including Crematogaster bequaerti var. saga, Lepisiota affinis, Camponotus, and Myrmicaria species. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | uMkhuze Game Reserve | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Pilanesberg National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 6 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pretoria | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Leaden Hairtail sighting in uMkhuze Game Reserve on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 16th most-seen of the 59 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
December
In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Leaden Hairtail in uMkhuze Game Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in January–February, April and June–October, the lowest months. That is one of uMkhuze Game Reserve's wettest months, with about 85 mm of rain against 15 mm in July.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Leaden Hairtail sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 6 parks where we can rate Leaden Hairtail sightings, uMkhuze Game Reserve has the highest daily chance: about 30%. Next come Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park (South Africa, about 10%) and Kruger National Park (South Africa, about 10%).
Same family: Lycaenidae
The closest relatives of the Leaden Hairtail that you can see in uMkhuze Game Reserve (family Lycaenidae, Gossamer-winged Butterflies) are Axiocerses perion (about 20%), Common Hairstreak (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 Leaden Hairtail is recorded against all the insects logged in uMkhuze Game Reserve (13 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.
