Cercyonis oetus
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Cercyonis oetus, the small wood-nymph or dark wood-nymph, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in western North America. The wingspan is 32–45 mm. Adults are on wing from June to August in one generation.
The larvae feed on various grasses. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rocky Mountain National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Grand Teton National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Glacier National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Yellowstone National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Grand Canyon National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Banff National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Small Wood-Nymph sighting in Yellowstone National Park on a given day, based on 48 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 30th most-seen of the 160 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Small Wood-Nymph in Yellowstone National Park on a given day, against under 5% in October to June, the lowest months. That is one of Yellowstone National Park's driest months, with about 30 mm of rain against 70 mm in February.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Small Wood-Nymph sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 6
Of the 6 parks where we can rate Small Wood-Nymph sightings, Yellowstone National Park ranks 4th at about 10%. The best odds are in Rocky Mountain National Park (United States, about 20%), Grand Teton National Park (United States, about 10%) and Glacier National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Nymphalidae
The closest relatives of the Small Wood-Nymph that you can see in Yellowstone National Park (family Nymphalidae, Brush-footed Butterflies) are Painted Lady (about 20%), Common Alpine (about 10%) and Milbert's Tortoiseshell (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Small Wood-Nymph is recorded against all the insects logged in Yellowstone National Park (48 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.
