Sympetrum vicinum
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Sympetrum vicinum, the Yellow-Legged Meadowhawk, is one of some fifteen North American species of autumn meadowhawk, which are dragonflies in the Libellulidae family. It grows to 26–35 mm long. This species has a small naiad, with a length of 12 to 15 mm (0.47 to 0.59 in). It is mottled green and brown in color. The abdomen has several large hooks along the top, and the last two abdominal segments have a single, large, rear-facing spine on each side. This species has bigger eyes than other members of the genus.
This is a small dragonfly, with a length of 30 to 35 mm (1.2 to 1.4 in). The wings are mostly clear but have a small patch of yellowish to orange clouding at the base of each hindwing. Mature males are brownish black on the face and thorax and have a red abdomen, while immature males have a yellow thorax and a yellowish brown abdomen. Females have a brown thorax and a brownish-red abdomen. As its common name implies, the legs of the adults are yellow.
This dragonfly is found in and around marshes, ponds and slow-moving streams throughout the eastern United States, southern Canada, the Great Plains, and the west... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Voyageurs National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Cape Breton Highlands National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Detroit | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Denver | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Autumn Meadowhawk sighting in Boston on a given day, based on 213 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 75th most-seen of the 1200 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August and October–November
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report an Autumn Meadowhawk in Boston on a given day, against under 5% in December to June, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Autumn Meadowhawk sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 15 cities where we can rate Autumn Meadowhawk sightings, Boston ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] (United States, about 10%) and Montreal (Canada, about 10%).
Same family: Libellulidae
The closest relatives of the Autumn Meadowhawk that you can see in Boston (family Libellulidae, Skimmers) are Blue Dasher (about 20%), Common Whitetail (about 10%) and Eastern Amberwing (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Autumn Meadowhawk is recorded against all the insects logged in Boston (213 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.
