Orthetrum villosovittatum
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Orthetrum villosovittatum, known as the fiery skimmer, is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. Its range is from the Moluccas, New Guinea and neighbouring islands as well as Australia. In Australia it is found in Victoria through eastern New South Wales and Queensland, north inland Queensland, Cape York Peninsula and north Northern Territory.
It is a common species through most of its range. Orthetrum villosovittatum is a medium-sized dragonfly with a wingspan of 60–85 mm. Mature males have dark greyish to greenish-brown thoraxes and red abdomens, with the abdomen constricted at segment four. Young males have an amber and black colouring. Females are ochre-coloured.
Orthetrum villosovittatum inhabits boggy seepages, streams and swamps. The genus name Orthetrum is derived from the Greek ὀρθός (orthos, "straight") and ἦτρον (ētron, "abdomen"), referring to the parallel-sided abdomen of the genus.
The species name villosovittatum is derived from the Latin villosus ("shaggy" or "hairy") and vittatus ("banded" or "striped"), referring to the hairy dark streak on the side of the thorax. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Noosa National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Raja Ampat | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 8 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Fiery Skimmer sighting in Blue Mountains National Park on a given day, based on 23 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 181st most-seen of the 789 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October to April
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Fiery Skimmer in Blue Mountains National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May to September, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Fiery Skimmer sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
8th of 8
Of the 8 parks where we can rate Fiery Skimmer sightings, Blue Mountains National Park ranks 8th at about 10%. The best odds are in Lamington National Park (Australia, about 40%), Daintree National Park (Australia, about 30%) and Springbrook National Park (Australia, about 30%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Fiery Skimmer is recorded against all the insects logged in Blue Mountains National Park (23 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.
