Erythrodiplax berenice
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Erythrodiplax berenice, commonly known as the seaside dragonlet, is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is found mainly at coastal marshes, mangrove swamps, and alkaline lakes of eastern North America. It is unique among dragonflies of the western hemisphere in that it can breed in seawater.
The seaside dragonlet is a relatively small, slender-bodied skimmer. Males reach a uniform black at maturity, which is then overlaid with waxy pruinosity. Their eyes are dark red on top with a gradient to light green below. Females have a similar dark red to light green-gray eye color gradient, but their body coloration is much more variable than the males'. The thorax usually has a lemon yellow to orange background with many black stripes, but some have an entirely black thorax. The abdomen is often black (sometimes gold or orange) on the first three segments (S1-S3) and on the final segments (S8-S10). The middle segments (S4-S7) are then often orange above and black below, forming a chainlike pattern of orange. Some common female color patterns include: mostly bright orange on thorax and abdomen; black thorax with bright orange abdomen (aging to a masculine... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 4 | Celestún Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 5 | Ciénaga de Zapata | 🇨🇺 Cuba | |
| 6 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Seaside Dragonlet sighting in Boston on a given day, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 695th most-seen of the 1200 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Seaside Dragonlet in Boston on a given day, against under 5% in August to June, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Seaside Dragonlet sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Seaside Dragonlet sightings, Boston ranks 3rd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in New York City (United States, under 5%) and Miami (United States, under 5%).
Same family: Libellulidae
The closest relatives of the Seaside Dragonlet 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 Seaside Dragonlet is recorded against all the insects logged in Boston (11 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.
