Slaty Skimmer

Slaty Skimmer

Libellula incesta

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Boston

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%

153 Verified sightings at Boston
82 In all 6 parks From 2019 to 2026
August Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Slaty Skimmer

Libellula incesta, the slaty skimmer, is a dragonfly of the skimmer family, native to eastern United States and southern Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick. Adults are 5.28 cm (2.08 in) long. Mature males are dark blue with black heads. Females and juveniles have brown abdomens with a darker stripe down their backs. Adults fly from June to August. Larvae are habitat specialists, found in the benthos of permanent lakes. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Congaree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
6 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Washington 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Austin 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Boston 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Houston 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
5 New York City 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
6 Baltimore 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
7 Philadelphia 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
8 Orlando 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
9 Miami 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
10 Dallas 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Slaty Skimmer in Boston?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Slaty Skimmer sighting in Boston on a given day, based on 153 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 125th most-seen of the 1200 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.

When is the best time to see a Slaty Skimmer in Boston?

July and August

In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Slaty Skimmer in Boston on a given day, against under 5% in October to May, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Slaty Skimmer?

Between 8 and 11 am

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

Is Boston the best place to see a Slaty Skimmer?

Among the best

Of the 11 cities where we can rate Slaty Skimmer sightings, Boston ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Washington (United States, about 10%) and Austin (United States, about 10%).

Where does the Slaty Skimmer sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Slaty Skimmer is recorded against all the insects logged in Boston (153 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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