Tramea limbata
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Tramea limbata is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. Its common names include black marsh trotter, ferruginous glider and voyaging glider. This migrant is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa, including Madagascar, southern Arabian Peninsula, southern Asia and nearby islands.
It is a medium-sized red dragonfly with extremely long anal appendages. It can be distinguished from other species of this genus by the dark-brown hind-wing patch, not surrounded by a golden yellow areola, in the base. Female is similar to male; but may be red as the male or yellowish in color.
This species reproduces in open pools, ponds and in grassy marshes. Adults are often found in bushy areas and around woodlands around them. This dragonfly is commonly seen patrolling over water bodies and open space in sunny days. Pairs in copula or in tandem can also sometimes be seen flying low above water bodies.
List of odonates of Sri Lanka List of odonates of India List of odonata of Kerala Data related to Tramea limbata at Wikispecies Media related to Tramea limbata at Wikimedia Commons Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Ferruginous Glider sighting in Cape Town on a given day, based on 19 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 158th most-seen of the 311 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February and March
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Ferruginous Glider in Cape Town on a given day, against under 5% in April to January, the lowest months. Those are among Cape Town's driest months, with about 20 mm of rain a month against 140 mm in June.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Ferruginous Glider sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
9th of 9
Of the 9 cities where we can rate Ferruginous Glider sightings, Cape Town ranks 9th at under 5%. The best odds are in Chennai (India, about 10%), Hyderabad (India, about 10%) and Pune (India, about 10%).
Same family: Libellulidae
The closest relatives of the Ferruginous Glider that you can see in Cape Town (family Libellulidae, Skimmers) are Julia Skimmer (about 20%), Nomad (about 20%) and Broad Scarlet (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Ferruginous Glider is recorded against all the insects logged in Cape Town (19 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.
