Ictinogomphus australis
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
Ictinogomphus australis, known as the Australian tiger, is a species of dragonfly in the family Gomphidae. It is found near rivers, lagoons, lakes and ponds. They are large dragonflies (wingspan 100mm, length 70mm) with eyes widely spaced on top of the head. They have clear wings and are yellow and black in colour. Males are identified from females by two curved flaps below segment eight of the abdomen. They are found in an arc ranging from about Broome, Western Australia along the north of the continent to Point Hicks on the south-east corner. The taxon has been assessed for the IUCN Red List as being of least concern.
The genus name Ictinogomphus is derived from the Greek ἴκτινος (iktinos, "kite"), combined with Gomphus, a genus name derived from the Greek γόμφος (gomphos, "peg" or "nail"). The name likely refers to the large size of the genus, emphasised by the distinctive large flaps near the end of the abdomen in both males and females.
The species name australis is Latin for "southern", in this case referring directly to Australia, where the species was first recorded. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Australian Tiger sighting in Brisbane on a given day, based on 278 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 56th most-seen of the 1083 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report an Australian Tiger in Brisbane on a given day, against under 5% in May to October, the lowest months. That is one of Brisbane's wettest months, with about 140 mm of rain against 40 mm in July.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Australian Tiger sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Australian Tiger sightings, Brisbane has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Sydney (Australia, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Australian Tiger is recorded against all the insects logged in Brisbane (278 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.
