Sympecma fusca
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Sympecma fusca, the common winter damselfly, is a damselfly a member of the Lestidae and related to the emeralds or spreadwings. This species can be found in much of southern and central Europe stretching out to Asia where it is replaced by S. paedisca. It is found around the Mediterranean in Europe and North Africa and on many Mediterranean islands.
It can be found in all types of standing water, including in brackish waters. In winter adults are found away from water on dry plant stems usually in open areas such as grassland and heaths. Sympecma fusca can reach a length of about 38 millimetres (1.5 in). It is distinct from all other European damselflies except Sympecma paedisca, so in most of its range there are no problems with identification. It does not have the bright blue or red colouration that is more usual for damselflies so it is often overlooked. It does not have the metallic emerald green sheen... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biebrza National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 2 | Kiskunság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 3 | Fertő-Hanság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 4 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 5 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 6 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 7 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Winter Damselfly sighting in Cévennes National Park on a given day, based on 18 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 359th most-seen of the 996 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.
December
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Common Winter Damselfly in Cévennes National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January, March, May and October–November, the lowest months.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Winter Damselfly sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 7
Of the 7 parks where we can rate Common Winter Damselfly sightings, Cévennes National Park ranks 4th at about 10%. The best odds are in Biebrza National Park (Poland, about 20%), Kiskunság National Park (Hungary, about 20%) and Fertő-Hanság National Park (Hungary, about 20%).
Same family: Lestidae
The closest relatives of the Common Winter Damselfly that you can see in Cévennes National Park (family Lestidae, Spreadwings and allies) are Western Willow Spreadwing (about 10%), Common Spreadwing (about 10%) and Small Spreadwing (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Common Winter Damselfly is recorded against all the insects logged in Cévennes National Park (18 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.
