Pachydiplax longipennis
In 3 days ~70% in a week >90%
The blue dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) is an insect of the skimmer family. It is the only species in the genus Pachydiplax. It is widely distributed throughout North America and into the Bahamas. Although the species name longipennis means "long wings", their wings are not substantially longer than those of related species. Females do, however, have a short abdomen that makes the wings appear longer in comparison. The blue dasher grows up to 25–43 millimeters (1.0–1.7 in) long.
The males are easy to recognize with their vibrant blue color, yellow-striped thorax, and metallic green eyes. Females are somewhat less colorful than the male, an example of sexual dimorphism. While they have a matching yellow-striped thorax, their abdomen has a distinct brown and yellow striping that sets them apart from the male, along with contrasting red eyes. Both sexes develop a frosted color with age.
Pachydiplax longipennis exhibits aggression while finding mates and foraging, and they are not under any conservation threats. Pachydiplax longipennis is a commonly spotted dragonfly species in the United States, and this species is found in many types of habitats. These... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Congaree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Padre Island National Seashore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Redwood National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 14 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Mesa | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Orlando | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Portland | 🇺🇸 United States |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Blue Dasher sighting in Big Cypress National Preserve on a given day, based on 107 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 6th most-seen of the 262 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.
April and October–November
In those months about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Blue Dasher in Big Cypress National Preserve on a given day, against about 10% in January, the lowest month.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Blue Dasher sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 14 parks where we can rate Blue Dasher sightings, Big Cypress National Preserve has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Everglades National Park (United States, about 30%) and Point Pelee National Park (Canada, about 30%).
Same family: Libellulidae
The closest relatives of the Blue Dasher that you can see in Big Cypress National Preserve (family Libellulidae, Skimmers) are Halloween Pennant (about 50%), Band-Winged Dragonlet (about 40%) and Needham's Skimmer (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Blue Dasher is recorded against all the insects logged in Big Cypress National Preserve (107 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.
