Common Citril
Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
at Antananarivo

In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%

46 Verified sightings at Antananarivo
631 In all 8 parks From 2019 to 2026
November Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Common Citril

Ceriagrion glabrum is a species of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae. Its common names include common orange, common citril, common pond damsel, common waxtail, orange waxtail and gewone aljander. It is widespread in Africa, where it is found in habitats that are dominated by reeds.

This is a small to medium size damselfly (length up to 46 mm (1.8 in), wingspan up to 53 mm (2.1 in)). The eyes are greenish with a dark grey cap. As is the case in many damselflies, this species shows strong sexual dimorphism. Males have a bright orange, unmarked abdomen and thorax, with a lighter yellow-orange colour on the sides of the abdomen. Females range from brown to green to orange. They become increasingly orange with age, although they never reach the same striking brightness of the males.

This is by far the most common and widespread African Ceriagrion species. It has been observed to occur in Angola, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Ankarafantsika National Park 🇲🇬 Madagascar
~30%
2 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~30%
3 uMkhuze Game Reserve 🇿🇦 South Africa
~30%
4 Garden Route National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~20%
5 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
~10%
6 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
7 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
8 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Antananarivo 🇲🇬 Madagascar
~40%
2 Durban 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
3 Harare 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~10%
4 Cape Town 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
5 Pretoria 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Common Citril in Antananarivo?

Likely

About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Common Citril sighting in Antananarivo on a given day, based on 46 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 8th most-seen of the 59 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Common Citril in Antananarivo?

November to March

In those months about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Common Citril in Antananarivo on a given day, against under 5% in June to August, the lowest months. Those are among Antananarivo's wettest months, with about 350 mm of rain a month against 45 mm in September.

What time of day is best to see a Common Citril?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Citril sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Antananarivo the best place to see a Common Citril?

Yes

Of the 5 cities where we can rate Common Citril sightings, Antananarivo has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Durban (South Africa, about 10%) and Harare (Zimbabwe, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Common Citril live in Antananarivo?

Same family: Coenagrionidae

The closest relatives of the Common Citril that you can see in Antananarivo (family Coenagrionidae, Narrow-winged Damselflies) are Common Bluetail (about 50%), Malagasy Bluet (about 30%) and Bright Sprite (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Common Citril sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Common Citril is recorded against all the insects logged in Antananarivo (46 verified sightings), 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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