Crocothemis nigrifrons
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
Crocothemis nigrifrons is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. Its common names include black-headed skimmer and blue-scarlet dragonfly. It is found in Australia, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. The male is blue and black, and the female is yellow to brown in color.
The species is usually found near still or sluggish waters and is common over much of its range. The genus name Crocothemis is derived from the Greek κρόκος (krokos, "crocus", the source of saffron) and -themis, from Greek Θέμις (Themis), the goddess of divine law, order and justice. In early odonate taxonomy, names ending in -themis were widely used for dragonflies. The name refers to the amber coloration at the base of the wings.
The species name nigrifrons is derived from the Latin niger ("black") and frons ("forehead" or "brow"), referring to the black face. List of Odonata species of Australia 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 a Black-Headed Skimmer sighting in Brisbane on a given day, based on 214 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 86th 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.
February and March
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Black-Headed Skimmer in Brisbane on a given day, against under 5% in June to September, the lowest months. Those are among Brisbane's wettest months, with about 150 mm of rain a month against 40 mm in July.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black-Headed Skimmer 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 3 cities where we can rate Black-Headed Skimmer sightings, Brisbane has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Sydney (Australia, under 5%) and Perth (Australia, under 5%).
Same family: Libellulidae
The closest relatives of the Black-Headed Skimmer that you can see in Brisbane (family Libellulidae, Skimmers) are Wandering Percher (about 20%), Fiery Skimmer (about 20%) and Blue Skimmer (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black-Headed Skimmer is recorded against all the insects logged in Brisbane (214 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.
