Epiaeschna heros
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Epiaeschna heros, the swamp darner, is a species of darner in the dragonfly family Aeshnidae. It is found in eastern North America. It is the only extant member of the genus Epiaeschna, a genus that is well-represented in fossil specimens found in Eurasia, suggesting a wider distribution during the mid-Cenozoic.
The IUCN conservation status of Epiaeschna heros is "LC", least concern, with no immediate threat to the species' survival. The population is stable. The IUCN status was reviewed in 2017. The species has been witnessed feeding on Solenopsis invicta ants during nuptial flights. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Congaree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 10 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Swamp Darner sighting in Chicago on a given day, based on 74 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 198th most-seen of the 978 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.
April to June
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Swamp Darner in Chicago on a given day, against under 5% in July to March, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Swamp Darner sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 10
Of the 10 cities where we can rate Swamp Darner sightings, Chicago ranks 4th at under 5%. The best odds are in New York City (United States, about 10%), Philadelphia (United States, under 5%) and Houston (United States, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Swamp Darner is recorded against all the insects logged in Chicago (74 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.
