Blue-Ringed Dancer

Blue-Ringed Dancer

Argia sedula

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Big Bend National Park

In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%

104 Verified sightings at Big Bend National Park From 2019 to 2026
267 In all 5 parks
April Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Blue-Ringed Dancer

Argia sedula, the blue-ringed dancer, is a species of narrow-winged damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae. It is found in Central America and North America. The IUCN conservation status of Argia sedula is "LC", least concern, with no immediate threat to the survival of the species. The population is stable.

It appears that Argia sedula is particularly affected by global warming, which is causing the size of individuals to vary depending on location and climate fluctuations. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
2 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
3 Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Cumbres de Monterrey National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Dallas 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Austin 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Mesa 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Houston 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Orlando 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
6 San Antonio 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
7 Monterrey 🇲🇽 México
~10%
8 Phoenix 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
9 San Diego 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
10 Los Angeles 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Blue-Ringed Dancer in Big Bend National Park?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Blue-Ringed Dancer sighting in Big Bend National Park on a given day, based on 104 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 21st most-seen of the 329 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Blue-Ringed Dancer in Big Bend National Park?

April–May and August–September

In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Blue-Ringed Dancer in Big Bend National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July and November–February, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Blue-Ringed Dancer?

Between noon and 3 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Blue-Ringed Dancer sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Big Bend National Park the best place to see a Blue-Ringed Dancer?

Yes

Of the 5 parks where we can rate Blue-Ringed Dancer sightings, Big Bend National Park has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Death Valley National Park (United States, about 20%) and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (United States, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Blue-Ringed Dancer live in Big Bend National Park?

Same genus: Argia

The closest relatives of the Blue-Ringed Dancer that you can see in Big Bend National Park (genus Argia, Dancers) are Powdered Dancer (about 20%), Springwater Dancer (about 10%) and Kiowa Dancer (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Blue-Ringed Dancer sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Blue-Ringed Dancer is recorded against all the insects logged in Big Bend National Park (104 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.

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