Ischnura verticalis
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
The eastern forktail (Ischnura verticalis) is a species of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae. This species is present in the Eastern United States, from the Atlantic coast to the Midwest and from north of Florida to Southern Canada and west to Montana and New Mexico.
These damselflies inhabit various wetlands, especially small ponds, slow moving streams and marshes. Ischnura verticalis can reach a body length of 22–30 millimetres (0.87–1.18 in). These small green, black and blue damselflies have a slender body with four wings folding over the back. The thorax of the males is black above, with pale green sides and green shoulder stripes. Eyes are dark above, greenish below. Abdomen is mainly black, with thin pale rings. The top of the abdomen (eighth and ninth abdominal segments) is blue, with black markings on sides. The males' abdomens shows tiny projections off the tip (hence the common name verticalis of this species).
Females are usually grayish-blue, with greyish markings on the abdomen. In the immature female, the thorax is bright orange with black dorsal and shoulder stripes. The abdomen is black above and... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Cape Breton Highlands National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Detroit | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Eastern Forktail sighting in Acadia National Park on a given day, based on 51 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 67th most-seen of the 405 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.
June and July
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report an Eastern Forktail in Acadia National Park on a given day, against under 5% in September to May, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Eastern Forktail sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 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 Eastern Forktail sightings, Acadia National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Point Pelee National Park (Canada, about 10%) and Cape Breton Highlands National Park (Canada, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Eastern Forktail is recorded against all the insects logged in Acadia National Park (51 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.
