Calopteryx splendens
In 3 days ~70% in a week >90%
The banded demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens) is a species of damselfly belonging to the family Calopterygidae. It is often found along slow-flowing streams and rivers. It is a Eurasian species occurring from the Atlantic coast eastwards to Lake Baikal and northwestern China.
This is a common species throughout much of its range. This is a large damselfly with a total length of up to 48 millimetres (1.9 in) and a hindwing length of up to 36 millimetres (1.4 in). Male and female are variable in color and pattern. The male has translucent wings which each have a broad, dark iridescent blue-black spot (or band) across the outer part. On immature individuals the spot is dark brown. The body can be a metallic blue or bluish green or a combination of both colours, depending on the time of year and location.
The dark wing patch of the male starts at the nodus (the slight dip midway down the upper edge of the wing) but can reach up to the wing-tip in southern races. In the very similar beautiful demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo), the dark patch starts before the nodus.
The female has translucent, pale green iridescent wings with a white patch near the tip (a pseudopterostigma)... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plitvice Lakes National Park | 🇭🇷 Croatia | |
| 2 | Biebrza National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 3 | Gauja National Park | 🇱🇻 Latvia | |
| 4 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 5 | Białowieża National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 6 | Fertő-Hanság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 7 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Turin | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 2 | Leeds | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | Brussels | 🇧🇪 Belgium | |
| 4 | Milan | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 5 | Rostov-on-Don | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 6 | Manchester | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 7 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 8 | Munich | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 9 | Budapest | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 10 | Lyon | 🇫🇷 France |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Banded Demoiselle sighting in Biebrza National Park on a given day, based on 21 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 7th most-seen of the 97 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June
In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Banded Demoiselle in Biebrza National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March–April and September, the lowest months. December has too few records to rate.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Banded Demoiselle sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 7 parks where we can rate Banded Demoiselle sightings, Biebrza National Park ranks 2nd at about 40%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Plitvice Lakes National Park (Croatia, about 40%).
Same order: Odonata
The closest relatives of the Banded Demoiselle that you can see in Biebrza National Park (order Odonata, Dragonflies and Damselflies) are Azure Damselfly (about 30%), Blue Featherleg (about 30%) and Common Clubtail (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Banded Demoiselle is recorded against all the insects logged in Biebrza National Park (21 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.
